Nearly a year ago, Muthupillai (60) of Chekkanoorani sustained serious injuries in a road accident near her village. Bedridden for nearly a month, she struggled to meet her medical expenses. Hence, she moved the court seeking compensation from the owner of the vehicle, in which she was travelling, and the company with which the vehicle was insured.
She had little hope that the case would be disposed of soon as it was adjourned several times.
Sensing that things could take longer than expected, advocates representing Muthupillai and the insurance company resolved to approach the Lok Adalat to seek a mutually acceptable settlement.
Finally, after a long and agonising wait, the woman was awarded a relief of Rs.60,000.
Muthupillai’s case is one of the cases referred to the National Lok Adalat conducted by the National Legal Services Authority here on Saturday.
According to the Madurai District Legal Services Authority, 2,67,500 reference cases were taken up at Lok Adalats held at various courts across the district. A total of 1,31,727 cases have been settled.
A sum of Rs.53,06,15,813 was collected at the National Lok Adalat, B. Gokul Doss, chairman of Madurai District Legal Services Authority, told reporters.
The cases resolved included energy theft, motor vehicle accident compensation and land acquisition cases. Eighteen among the case of land acquisition related to the exercise for the construction of Sellur bridge.
Speaking to The Hindu , Mr.Gokul Doss said all post-litigation cases referred by regular courts were taken up at the Lok Adalats.
A total of 36 benches were constituted in the district, with each bench comprising a sitting or a retired judge, a social activist and a panel advocate from the Free Legal Aid Centre.
If the litigants were unable to arrive at a settlement, they could again approach the court, he said.
