The Mega Lok Adalat on Saturday saw settlement in 5,235 cases in Dakshina Kannada and 3,244 cases in Udupi districts, including a civil case pending for over 21 years. Despite the weekend curfew in Dakshina Kannada, a good number of litigant public related to 11,160 cases identified for settlement, attended the proceedings.
Principal District and Sessions Judge B. Muralidhara Pai had asked the district administration to allow the litigant public to attend Lok Adalats. “Most of the litigant public turned up, including 985 who attended virtually,” he said. Mr. Pai led judicial officers from 30 city courts in the Lok Adalat. While advocates represented clients in many cases, litigant public appeared in person in 985 cases. COVID-19 appropriate behaviour was followed.
Among the cases settled included an original suit filed in 1998 in which three appeals had been filed. Mr. Pai, Additional District and Sessions Judge T.P. Ramalingegowda and Senior Civil Judge and Member Secretary of Dakshina Kannada District Legal Services Authority Pruthviraj Vernekar had discussion with 150 litigant public to settle it.
Another case was the Motor Vehicle Accident claim petition filed in 2015 pending with the court of II Additional District and Sessions Court Judge Abhay Dhanpal Chougala. The petitioner had undergone treatment for four years following an accident and passed away in February. A compensation of ₹21 lakh was awarded to the legal heirs of the deceased petitioner on Saturday. A suit for recovery of ₹21 lakh from Dakshina Kannada Nirmiti Kendra was among the recovery suits that were settled.
A total of 308 Motor Vehicle Accident claim (MVC) cases were settled on Saturday. Of these, 228 cases were in Mangaluru and the total compensation awarded was ₹6.55 crore. As many as 49 MVC cases were settled in Puttur and a compensation of ₹1 crore was awarded, while there were 22 cases in Bantwal with a compensation of ₹32.11 lakh. And, nine cases were settled in Belthangady for a compensation of ₹16.30 lakh.
A total of 200 cheque bounce cases under Negotiable Instruments (NI) Act were settled. Of these, 107 were from Mangaluru taluk for a compensation of ₹1.83 crore.
In the remaining 93 cases from the other taluks, a total of ₹1.34 crore compensation was awarded. As many as 132 pre-litigation cases and 129 civil suits were settled.
In Udupi, of the 3,244 cases settled in Udupi included 158 civil suits, 155 MVC cases, 134 NI Act cases, 179 pre-litigation cases and 54 criminal cases related to compoundable offences. A total of ₹8.11 crore compensation was awarded.
