S. Mohammed Miskeen, 91, an auditor based in Tiruvarur, received his Ph.D. degree, at the Bharathidasan University convocation on Tuesday.
Governor and Chancellor Banwarilal Purohit, Pro-Chancellor and Education Minister K.P. Anbazhagan, Vice-Chancellor of Bharathidasan University P. Manisankar and the audience were impressed as he was awarded the degree for having completed his doctorate as a candidate in the Department of Commerce, St. Joseph's College, on ‘An analytical study of judicial verdicts in cheque dishonour cases and on their impact on offenders under Section 138 of Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881.’
His guide I. Francis Gnanasekar, former Vice-Principal and Head, Department of Commerce, St. Joseph’s College, is all praise for his candidate.
“I analysed about 400 verdicts of the Supreme Court and High Courts on cheque dishonour cases before coming out with some suggestions in the light of the Government’s notification of new Negotiable Instruments Act Amendment Bill to deal with cheque bounce cases,’ Mr. Mohammed Miskeen said.
Further amendments are required to the Act since dishonour of cheques is not due to an intentional act of crime in all cases. For instance, jailing will be a mistake if issuer of bounced cheque is a sole bread winner. The government could consider increasing the penalty in such cases. However, tough laws are required to deal with wilful offenders in the business domain. There must be amendments that would pave way for a freeze in dealing with shares of companies involved in cheque dishonour cases until they clear payments. A data bank of these defaulters must be created and made accessible to all banks so as to freeze their accounts, he said.
Prof. Francis is ecstatic about his candidate’s completion of doctorate on a part-time basis over a five-year period. Mr. Mohammed Miskeen was very committed and hard working. Every time I gave an assignment, he fixed a date and completed the work within a short period.
