Munaf Patel summoned by Delhi court in cheque bounce case

What's the story?

Indian fast bowler Munaf Patel was summoned by a Delhi court in connection with a cheque bounce case on the basis of a complaint filed by city resident Sunil Kumar Aggarwal.

Aggarwal filed the complaint under the provisions of the Negotiable Instruments Act against Nivas Promoters Pvt Ltd, which has the 2011 World Cup winning fast bowler as one of its seven directors.

He alleged that the firm had issued him a cheque of Rs 25.50 lakh last month but it got dishonoured. Despite the issuance of a legal notice to the concerned, the payment was not forthcoming and hence Mr. Aggarwal decided to approach the court.

"There is sufficient material on record to summon all the accused persons. Therefore, a prima facie case punishable under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act is made out against them. This court, therefore, takes cognizance of offence," the court said while summoning the cricketer and others in the case.

In case you didn't know...

A talented cricketer whose career has been ruined by injuries and inconsistency, Munaf Patel returned to IPL action after a gap of three seasons when he was bought by Gujarat Lions at the auctions ahead of the 2017 edition of the T20 tournament.

However, he featured in only two matches, picking up 1 wicket and faces an uncertain future in the sport.

Extra Cover: Five promising Indian fast bowlers from last decade who never reached their potential

The details

Nivas Promoters Pvt Ltd is a registered company dealing with real estate business and was incorporated on 13 September 2012.

Munaf Patel joined as a director of the firm on February 1st, 2014 and has been actively involved in the running of the company along with his other business ventures.

According to Mr. Aggarwal, he is due an amount in excess of Rs 25 lakh from the company and was given a cheque for payment but found that the instrument was dishonoured due to lack of funds.

Left with no other alternatives as a legal notice issued against the firm fetched no results, Mr. Aggarwal decided to approach the court and has now won a decision in his favour, landing Munaf & co in a fix.

What's next?

Following the decision by Metropolitan Magistrate Snigdha Sarvaria, Munaf Patel and the other six directors of the firm will have to appear at the next hearing of the case scheduled for November 1.

Author's take

It is sad to see a talented cricketer's career fade away due to injuries and bad form but an altogether different and more serious issue when the individual stands accused in a case which amounts to cheating.

It is true that Munaf is only one among the seven directors of the firm in question, but perhaps he should have been more careful in his business ventures.

Nevertheless, it is vital that the 34-year-old seeks a quick closure to this episode so that he can maintain his focus on making a comeback like he did at the 2017 IPL.