Over 35 lakh cases pending across all courts in the country were wiped out by a single stroke on Saturday as lok Adalats organised at State, district, and taluk level held sittings and ensured amicable settlement of cases without pursuing litigation to remedy their cause.
This was the result of a National lok Adalat observed by all courts on Saturday. Special benches sat in the Supreme Court, High Courts, and district courts to hear cases and mutually settle cases involving motor accident claims, matrimonial disputes, challan cases, cheque bounce offence, and labour matters.
According to a release issued by NAlSA Member-Secretary Asha Menon, the number is expected to increase as lok Adalat in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh would be held on November 30 to decide the fate of 7.97 lakh cases.
Inaugurating the National lok Adalat, CJI P Sathasivam informed that this year a total of 39 lakh cases were referred to lok Adalats, highest being from MP and Maharashtra, followed by Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. He warned that the settlement should not be arrived at with force or coercion.
In Supreme Court, a total of 107 cases were referred to lok Adalats out of which only 51 were settled. According to Executive Chairman of NAlSA Justice GS Singhvi, this figure was low as the litigants in SC are determined to litigate than agree for mediation after having spent time and money to come up till apex court.