I lent someone 5 lakhs in cash and received a cheque from them. Now they’re denying the loan and the cheque bounced, leading to a court case. Can I legally recover the money even without proof of the cash transaction?

Yes, you can attempt to recover the money. While proving the cash transaction is difficult, the bounced cheque itself is evidence of the loan. You can sue for the loan amount and the bounced cheque charges, but you will need to convince the court that the cheque was given for the loan.