Disputes should be settled amicably, says CJI

Hyderabad: Chief Justice of India H L Dattu hoped that National Lok Adalats being held across the country on Saturday would help settle not less than 10 lakh cases. Inaugurating the event at the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad for the States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, the CJI advised the presiding officers of Lok Adalats at all levels not to exert pressure on parties to come for a settlement.

“Last year we succeeded in our attempt. We settled beyond 10 lakh cases throughout the country. Even this year, we have big target to cross not less than 10 lakh as we have done last year. At the end of the day, I will have necessary figures with me and I will certainly say my friends have done a good job and this time it requires some more efforts,” the Chief Justice said.

He stressed that parties who come for settling their disputes should go with ‘smile on their faces’. Justice Dattu said he felts that Lok Adalats were a little bit of pressure on the litigants. “In my view, the persons handling these matters should leave it to the parties concerned and allow them to settle that dispute between themselves amicably. Because from some quarters, we hear often that this statement that ‘I (the party) was pressurised to sign certain documents’” he said.

He said in his opinion, that should not be done. “We are not here to put pressure on the parties to settle a dispute. Their dispute requires to be settled most amicably between the parties,” he added. Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta, Chief Justice of High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad, said over 80,000 and 91,000 cases were placed before the Lok Adalats in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana respectively. A section of advocates held placards requesting the CJI to establish a separate High Court for Andhra Pradesh.