In Jharkhand, 11.28 lakh pre-litigation cases disposed of; tally crosses last year’s figures

National Lok Adalats are held on one particular day throughout the country at various intervals. They are an alternative dispute redressal mechanism forum where cases pending in the court of law or at pre-litigation stages are settled or compromised. Pre-litigation cases are important as they allow the parties involved in a dispute to settle their issues through conciliation and mediation instead of going through lengthy court proceedings. During a National Lok Adalat, various types of cases, including civil, criminal, matrimonial, and compoundable criminal offences, are taken up for resolution.

Justice Chandrashekhar explained that if a person gets an inflated electricity bill and goes to the electricity department, the matter is immediately referred for mediation. “If a person receives a Rs 1 lakh electricity bill mistakenly, the concerned employee cannot waive it off because they do not have the power. Also, this would raise allegations and the employee may lose their job. The case is then sent for mediation in Lok Adalats in a bid to avoid cases ending up in the court,” Justice Chandrashekhar said.