Jammu: On the direction of Chairman National Legal Services Authority and under the supervision of Patron-in-Chief, Chief Justice, Jammu and Kashmir High Court, Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed, a National Lok Adalat was held Saturday in the District Court Complex, Janipur Jammu under the Chairmanship of Vinod Chatterje Koul, Chairman, District Legal Services Authority (Principal District & Sessions Judge) Jammu.
A total number of ten benches were constituted at District Court Complex, Jammu. The first bench was presided over by V.C. Koul, Principal District and Sessions Judge, Jammu and assisted by Haq Nawaz Zargar, 3rd Additional District and Sessions Judge, TADA/POTA Jammu.
The second Bench was presided over by M.L Manhas, Special Judge Anti-corruption, CBI Cases Jammu and assisted by Sonia Gupta, Special Judge Anti Corruption, Jammu and Anita Tickoo Retainer Lawyer, DLSA Jammu.
The third Bench was headed by Bala Jyoti, Additional District Judge, Bank Cases Jammu and assisted by Surinder Singh, City Judge Jammu. The fourth Bench was headed by Jatinder Singh Jamwal, Additional District Judge, MACT Jammu and assisted by Sumit Bhat (Retainer Lawyer) DLSA Jammu. The fifth Bench was headed by Ashwani Kumar Sharma, Chief Judicial Magistrate, Jammu and assisted by Zeeshan Ahmad Choudhary Retainer Lawyer TLSC Jammu.
The sixth bench was headed by Kusum Lata Pandita, Sub Judge Jammu and assisted by Wangial Tsering, Forest Magistrate Jammu. The seventh Bench was headed by Sudhir Khajuria, Special Electricity Mobile Magistrate. Jammu and assisted by Manjeet Rai, Special Mobile Magistrate P and T, Jammu. The eighth Bench was headed by Som Lal Sub Judge Special Railway Magistrate, Jammu and assisted by Arti Devi, Munsiff Jammu.
The ninth Bench comprised of Yahya Firdous Ahangar Special Railway Magistrate, and Slahuddin Ahmed, Additional Mobile Magistrate, Traffic Jammu. The tenth Bench comprised of Manoj Parihar Spl. Mobile Magistrate Jammu, Swati Gupta, Sub Registrar Jammu and A.S. Manhas, Additional Deputy Commissioner Jammu.
Cases of civil nature, criminal compoundable, petty offences, bank recovery cases, MACT cases, consumer cases, matrimonial cases, cases under 138 NIA, revenue, electricity, water, passenger tax and railway cases were taken up and settled in the Lok Adalat. A total number of 5352 cases were taken up, out of which 4102 cases have been decided.
A total amount of Rs. 55.45 crore was settled in the Lok Adalat.Lok Adalat benches were also constituted at Tehsil Headquarters at Akhnoor, Bishnah and R.S. Pura which were presided over by respective Chairman, Tehsil Legal Services Committees.
