ahmedabad a city sessions court has reduced the penalty in a chequebounce case after a request from the accused saying that the covid19 pandemic had worsened his financial condition and he would not be able to bear the burdena maninagar resident who has a mobile phone shop chirag prajapati was sentenced to two years in jail and had to pay rs 19 lakh compensation to one naman shah as a metropolitan court convicted him in a cheque return case in 2018 the dispute arose in 2015 when shah could not realize cheques issued by prajapati due to insufficient funds in the latters account after the court convicted prajapati he paid compensation to shah and settled the dispute prajapati filed an appeal in the sessions court and asked the court to pardon him as he had already paid the compensation and reached a compromise with the complainant prajapati speasked the court to spare him the penalty because he suffered losses due to the pandemic hearing prajapatis case the court said that the supreme court has laid down a criterion that in a case of a settlement in a cheque return dispute under the negotiable instruments act the accused is liable to pay at least 15 of the disputed sum thus prajapati was to pay rs 28500 as penalty though his jail term was scrapped due to the settlement the court further said looking at the contentions raised by both parties as well as social and economic condition of the present accused prajapati and also considering the pandemic situation this court is of the humble opinion that a penalty of rs 5000 be imposed on the applicant