Delhi High Court Seeks Centre’s Response On Augmenting Number Of DRTs In National Capital

The Delhi High Court has sought response of the Central Government on augmentation of number of Debt Recovery Tribunals (DRTs) to deal with large pendency of cases and the facilities for efficient conduct of proceedings.

A division bench of Justice Najmi Waziri and Justice Gaurang Kanth asked the Secretary of Ministry of Finance, Department of Financial Services to look into the matter and directed that a comprehensive affidavit be filed by the Joint Secretary.

Amicus Curiae Advocate Sanjeev Bhandari submitted before the court that about 10 to 15 DRTs should be constituted and made functional in the national capital for addressing the pendency of cases and to adjudicate fresh cases being filed on a daily basis.

Noting that the photographs filed by Bhandari showed an “unfortunate physical state” of the court rooms of three DRTs, the court said:

“The state of affairs shown in the photographs cannot be considered of a forum’s conducive discharge of responsibility of adjudication by a Presiding Officer. It is more of a dump of files and records from which retrieval of cases would not be an easy task.”

Accordingly, the court directed the Registrar of Debts Recovery Appellate Tribunal (DRAT) to file a status report regarding renovation work being carried out for re-creation of the court rooms in question so as to facilitate conduct of meaningful proceedings.

The bench added that the report shall also address the issue of storage or disposal records of disposed-of cases after digitisation of the same and e-filing of petitions.

“This report is sought in the context of the photographs showing that the files and records are stacked in court rooms themselves and have taken up most of the space leaving hardly any space for lawyers and litigants to appear before a functional Tribunal,” the court said.

The matter will be heard next on February 7.

Title: INDU KAPOOR v. AU SMALL FINANCE BANK & ANR.

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