Senior Citizens Are Entitled To Get Their Cases Decided On Preferential Basis, Observes Punjab & Haryana High Court

While dealing with a plea of a 67-year-old senior citizen who submitted that proceedings in his rent petition are moving at a slow pace, the Punjab and Haryana High Court recently observed that senior citizens are entitled to get their cases decided on a preferential basis.

This assertion came from the bench of Justice H. S. Madaan dealing with a plea of a senior citizen, Gurmeet Singh who had filed an ejectment petition against respondent/tenant Vipan Kumar on the ground of arrears of rent and personal necessity before Rent Controller, Ludhiana.

He submitted before the Court that proceedings in that rent petition are going on a very slow pace and therefore, prayed for the expedition of the proceedings pending before the Rent Controller, Ludhiana.

At the outset, the Court observed thus:

"No doubt senior citizens are entitled to get their cases decided on a preferential basis. As a matter of fact, expeditious trial is right of every litigant."

The Court also observed that on account of the extraordinary situation, which arose due to the outbreak of Covid-19, the proceedings in the Courts had been seriously affected, however, the Court also took note of the fact that now the situation has improved to a large extent. 

Therefore, the Court directed the Rent Controller, Ludhiana to make earnest efforts to conclude the proceedings in the rent petition of the petitioner and dispose it of expeditiously preferably within a period of one year from the date of receipt of copy of the order in the Court.

Significantly, in the year 2018, the Himachal Pradesh High Court had observed in the case of Vijay Kumar Sood & Another vs Amrik Ahuja & Others that the cases of Senior Citizens are to be taken up on a priority basis and dealt with promptitude.

Importantly, the Central Government's National Litigation Policy of 2010 also stresses that prioritization in litigation has to be achieved with particular emphasis on welfare legislation, social reform, weaker sections, and senior citizens and other categories requiring assistance must be given utmost priority.

Case title-  Gurmeet Singh v. Vipan Kumar

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