Section 142 of the Negotiable Instruments Act deals with:

Section 142 provides that no court shall take cognizance of a section 138 offence "except upon a complaint, in writing, made by the payee or, as the case may be, the holder in due course", and fixes the time limit, the trying court and territorial jurisdiction. Summary trial is in section 143, offences by companies in section 141 and interim compensation in section 143A.