Mumbai: Chief metropolitan magistrate, Esplanade, Mumbai, P M Bansod has said in a recent circular that all pending cheque-bouncing criminal cases filed under section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, which are at present being heard exclusively only by one court at each centre, will now be heard by 40 courts instead of the 13 courts. Directions have been issued to distribute and transfer the cases police station-wise.

This has been done pursuant to directions from Justice V G Palshikar and registrar S R Sathe of the Bombay High Court. As part of the decentralisation process, the pending cases are to be sent to the respective courts exercising jurisdiction over the allotted police station.

Similarly, new cases are to be filed in the respective courts as per the police station jurisdiction. The metropolitan magistrates concerned have been asked to report compliance of the high court direction, for forwarding the same to the high court.