My neighbor, whom I don’t know very well, gave me a check from the J&K Bank. It bounced on July 13th, 2016. How can I protect my money? Should I file a criminal case against him directly? Do I need to send a notice first? Can I try to deposit the check again after a month? What’s the best way to handle this situation?

Under Indian law, you can file a criminal case under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act for the dishonored check. However, you must first send a legal notice demanding payment within 30 days. If payment is not received, you can then file a criminal complaint. Trying to deposit the check again after a month is unlikely to be successful as it has already bounced.