Lok Adalat settles over 12,842 cases across State

The National Lok Adalat settled over 12,842 cases across Telangana on Sunday, awarding ₹56.02 crore in compensation. Out of the cases settled, 6,988 were in pre-litigation phase and 5,854 were pending court cases.

The Adalat, a bi-monthly exercise, was led by Justice Ramesh Ranganathan, the acting Chief Justice of Hyderabad High Court. Justice Ranganathan is also the patron-in-chief of Telangana State Legal Services Authority (TSLSA). Justice V. Ramasubramanian, executive chairman of TSLSA, Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar, chairman of High Court Committee, B.R. Madhusudhan Rao, member secretary of TSLSA organised the Adalat.

During the programme, compoundable criminal cases, Negotiable Instruments Act cases, excise cases, labour disputes, matrimonial cases and pre-litigation cases were heard at Nampally, Secunderabad and Erramanzil metropolitan criminal court premises in the city. In a media briefing held here, authorities of National Legal Services Authority (New Delhi) and Metropolitain Legal Services Authority (Hyderabad), who oversaw the cases, said 21 benches were constituted.

Speaking at a media conference, Judge Venkata Krishnaiah, Metropolitan Sessions Judge and TSLSA chairman and B. R. Madhusudhan Rao, TSLSA member secretary, assured that Lok Adalats would be held according to schedule.

In the city, 815 compoundable criminal cases were settled. Another 188 excise cases, 524 NI Act cases and seven matrimonial cases were also settled. In total, 1,534 cases were settled in the city.

Across the State, people willing to settle pending court cases or pre-litigation cases approached the chairman or secretary of District Legal Services Authority, Nyaya Sevan Sadan in their respective district court complexes. Those with litigable grievances had also approached the nearest Mandal Legal Services Committee and the nearest court to get their dispute settled.