Rent or salary cheque bounced

What usually matters in this situation, and the papers to keep ready before you meet an advocate or free legal aid (call 15100).

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Your situation

Which side are you on? I received the cheque and it bounced

Papers to gather

The original cheque
The court will need to see the original. Where: Your bank returns it with the memo.
Bank return memo (cheque return slip)
Starts the 30-day clock and shows the reason. Where: Your bank, along with the returned cheque.
Bank statement showing the cheque deposit and its return
Shows the cheque was presented within its validity (generally 3 months from its date). Where: Net banking or branch.
Proof of the underlying debt (loan transfer, invoice, agreement, ledger)
The presumption of debt can be challenged; independent proof helps. Where: Your bank statements, invoices, agreements, account books.
Messages where the issuer admits the debt or promises payment
Admissions are strong evidence. Where: WhatsApp, SMS, email.
Issuer's full name, address, and account bank branch
Needed for notice and complaint. Where: Cheque, your records.

You may also need, depending on your answers

Send a written demand notice (through an advocate) and keep proof of dispatch — A complaint usually cannot proceed without it.
Copy of the demand notice, postal receipts and delivery tracking — Delivery date starts the 15-day payment window and then the one-month window to file.
Company details and names of directors/partners who sign — Those in charge of the company may also be made accused.
Records showing the cheque was given as security, or the deal it related to — Whether a "security" cheque can be the basis of a case depends on whether a debt existed when it was presented.
List of all cheques, dates, amounts and payments in the deal — Avoids confusion over amounts and multiple cases.

What the law says

Cheque dishonour is a criminal complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. Deadlines run from specific events, so exact dates matter. Since 1 November 2025 (Supreme Court, Sanjabij Tari), summons can be served by email and WhatsApp, the accused can pay online at the start, and settlement costs were reduced: no cost if paid before the accused's evidence, 5% before the trial court's judgment, 7.5% in the High Court and 10% in the Supreme Court.

General information, not legal advice.

Saboot will also ask

What reason is written on the bank's return memo?
When did the bank tell you the cheque bounced?
Have you sent a written demand notice to the person who issued it?
Why was the cheque given?
Roughly how much is the cheque for?

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Similar situations

Sources

The full guide: A cheque bounced — I gave it or I received it · All situations