COVID-19: C’garh to hold e-Lok Adalat via video conferencing

Bilaspur: In an effort to settle pending cases by following precautionary measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic, an e-Lok Adalat is being organised in Chhattisgarh on Saturday, where hearings will be conducted virtually, an official said.

As per a government release, this is the first time in the country that Lok Adalat is being held through video conferencing.

Over 3,000 cases will be taken up for hearing in over 200 benches of various districts, including the high court in Bilaspur on Saturday, said Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra, the executive chairman of Chhattisgarh State Legal Services Authority.

“The e-Lok Adalat will be inaugurated by Chhattisgarh High Court Chief Justice P R Ramchandra Menon at 10.30 am in the video-conferencing room of the high court and the programme will also be live streamed,” Justice Mishra said in the statement.

The COVID-19 outbreak has severely hit the functioning of judiciary in the state because of which lawyers and affected parties were also facing financial crisis, he said.

The move to hold Lok Adalat on a digital platform will bring relief to lawyers and aggrieved parties, he added.

Family disputes, accident claims and cheque bounce cases that can be settled through mutual consent are often resolved by Lok Adalat, he said.

All district courts and tehsil courts along with the high court will be part of the e-Lok Adalat, Justice Mishra said.

If parties and lawyers have difficulty in connecting through video conferencing, they can also present their case via WhatsApp video calls, he said.

“If this experiment is successful, it will be continued further,” Justice Mishra added.