Jharkhand's National Lok Adalat: Over 8.69 Lakh Pre-Litigation Cases And 89,000 Pending Cases Disposed, Settling Claims Worth Rs 489 Crores

On Saturday, March 9, 2024, the Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority (JHALSA) organized the National Lok Adalat across the state, alongside the efforts of the Jharkhand High Court Legal Services Committee.

Under the guidance of Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad, Judge of the Jharkhand High Court and Executive Chairman of JHALSA, meticulous preparations spanning several weeks culminated in this endeavor.

The National Lok Adalat, a platform aimed at resolving pre-dispute and pending cases, saw participation from all District Legal Services Authorities throughout Jharkhand. A diverse array of cases, encompassing criminal compoundable cases, check bounce cases, electricity theft cases, excise, forest, measurement cases, matrimonial disputes, and civil cases, were addressed during the event.

Justice Prasad, accompanied by Ms. Ranjana Asthana, Member Secretary of JHALSA, personally supervised the proceedings at the Civil Court premises. Notably, Justice Prasad oversaw the distribution of checks worth approximately three crores to beneficiaries, particularly in cases related to Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) and others.

One of the notable resolutions emerged in a mediation session held at the Ranchi Civil Court involving actress Ameesha Patel and complainant Ajay Kumar Singh regarding a check bounce case. Through video conferencing, both parties reached an agreement, with the accused actress agreeing to pay Rs 2 crore 75 lakh, initiating the payment with a Rs 20 lakh cheque to the complainant.

Furthermore, as part of Justice Prasad's initiative, assets were distributed among beneficiaries during the Rashtriya Lok Adalat.

The scale of the event was immense, with a total of 8,69,672 pre-litigation and 89,453 pending cases disposed of. The settlements amounted to a staggering sum of Rs 4,89,57,00,533, benefiting a total of 6,38,4899 individuals.

Meanwhile, the Jharkhand High Court Legal Services Committee conducted the National Lok Adalat within the Jharkhand High Court premises, featuring two benches presided over by Justice R. Mukhopadhyay and Justice Anubha Rawat Choudhary.

A total of 47 cases were adjudicated, including 12 pre-litigation cases and 35 pending cases.