1978 trade dispute, 47-year tenancy row among cases resolved in SC’s special Lok Adalat

Several long-pending disputes have been brought to closure including a 47-year-old tenancy battle, a commercial matter dating back to 1978 and an Ayodhya property dispute resolved with the help of a digitally signed agreement transmitted from Dubai - thanks to a mega Lok Adalat held in the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court has more than 96,000 pending cases, with over 10,000 awaiting disposal for more than a decade, according to official data.

The three-day Special Lok Adalat, held from August 21 to 23 as the culmination of the Samadhan Samaroh 2026 initiative, disposed of 1,712 cases, including 48 matters resolved through mediation. Of the 3,285 cases listed, 1,664 were settled or disposed of during the Lok Adalat, while Rs 240.94 crore was disbursed.

One of the most striking settlements involved a commercial dispute from 1978.

The dispute between Saudi Arabian company AL Mustaneer Establishment for Trade and Syndicate Bank, now part of Canara Bank, concerned an order for supply of 2,000 metric tonnes of MS Round Bars worth around $ 6.8 lakh.