A Lok Adalat conducted at the Madras High Court Bench here on Saturday disposed 18 of the 348 cases listed before it and settled claims amounting to Rs.51.31 lakh, according to the High Court’s Registrar (Judicial) S. Srinivasan.
The Registrar, also in-charge of the High Court Legal Services Committee, said that cases related to compoundable criminal offences, cheque bounce cases, petitions seeking maintenance amount and those related to motor accident cases were listed for hearing.
Three different Benches, including two led by sitting High Court judges S. Vaidyanathan and G. Chockalingam and another by retired judge P. Thangavelu, heard the cases listed before the Lok Adalat and persuaded the parties to settle their disputes amicably.
On the spot
In one of the cases, a building owner issued a cheque for Rs.3.75 lakh on the spot to the family members of a labourer, Karadipatti Karadiraja, who died when a portion of the old building at Anna Nagar here collapsed on him when he was engaged in demolishing the structure.
The labourer’s son Veeranan had approached the court seeking a direction to the police to register a First Information Report against the building owner.
However, finding possibility of an amicable settlement of the issue, the court had referred the matter to the Lok Adalat.
Petition withdrawn
During the hearing before the Bench led by Mr. Justice Vaidyanathan, the petitioner agreed to withdraw the petition as well as the police complaint after the building owner agreed to pay Rs.3.75 lakh towards compensation for the accidental death.
