Which one of the following has the power to try any offence punishable under Section 138 of the…

Under section 142(1)(c) of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, no court inferior to that of "A Metropolitan Magistrate or a Judicial Magistrate of the First Class" shall try any offence punishable under section 138. A Judicial Magistrate of the Second Class is an inferior court, and Executive Magistrates and the District Magistrate (in his executive capacity) have no jurisdiction to try the offence.

Current law: The BNSS court structure from 1 July 2024 does not retain a separate Metropolitan Magistrate category; section 6 lists Judicial Magistrates of the first and second classes, while section 142(1)(c) of the NI Act continues to specify a Metropolitan Magistrate or a Judicial Magistrate of the First Class as the minimum competent judicial grade.