The High Court of Karnataka and the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA) have created history in settlement of cases, with a record 2,61,882 cases being settled in a single day at the mega Lok Adalat held on December 19. This has resulted in a 12.17% reduction of cases pending before courts in taluks and districts, apart from the High Court.
A total of ₹669.95 crore was awarded as compensation or settlement amount by amicably resolving cases related to motor vehicle accident claims, land acquisition, and other civil matters. The settlements also yielded a revenue of ₹41.45 crore for the State exchequer by way of fine through the compounding of around two lakh pending criminal cases.
Justice Aravind Kumar, judge of the Karnataka High Court and executive chairperson of KSLSA, told presspersons on Monday that the settlement number was historic for Lok Adalat in Karnataka and was probably the highest even at the national level.
Unlike the e-Lok Adalat held on September 19, which was only through virtual mode, this time the physical presence of litigants was allowed in 10 districts where COVID-19 numbers were low. However, on-the-spot COVID-19 tests were conducted there, he said.
Partition cases
For the first time, a large number of litigants showed keen interest in settling cases related to the partition of property among family members, with a record 3,095 litigations over partition being settled on December 19, said Justice Kumar. He pointed out that in the past, Lok Adalats had never witnessed amicable settlements of more than 32 cases related to partition disputes.
Considering that a judge disposes of three cases a day during regular court proceedings, Justice Kumar said it would have taken at least 80 days to dispose of these 2.61 lakh cases under the normal course of adjudication before the regular courts.
