Indore (Madhya Pradesh): As many as 103 cases were settled through mutual agreement at the National Lok Adalat organised at the Family Court, Indore, on Saturday. Of these, around 24 cases ended with estranged husbands and wives agreeing to resume their marital lives after counselling and persuasion by the court.
A total of 512 cases were placed before five benches of the Family Court for hearing and settlement during the Lok Adalat. The proceedings began at 10.30 am with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp by principal judge Dhirendra Singh, additional principal judge AK Goyal, first additional principal judge Kuldeep Jain, third additional principal judge Tejinder Singh Ajmani and second additional principal judge Suresh Kumar Chaubey.
Members of the Bar, court staff and employees were also present during the proceedings. The Lok Adalat received special support from advocates Pramod Joshi, Jitendra Singh Thakur, Pranay Sharma, Preeti Mehna, Vijay Rathore and other members of the Bar.
One of the notable settlements involved a couple who had married in 2020 and had been living separately since 2022 due to differences, arguments and the husband's alcohol-related issues. The husband had approached the Family Court seeking divorce. During nearly a year of proceedings, the couple underwent counselling at different stages. The two eventually realised their mistakes and agreed to start afresh. The husband assured the court that he would take proper care of his wife and their four-year-old son and would not repeat his past mistakes. The matter was subsequently settled at the Lok Adalat.
In another case, a couple married in February 2022 had been living separately since 2024 following family disputes and alleged misbehaviour. The wife had filed a maintenance case, while the husband later sought an order for her to live with him. After several rounds of counselling and discussions by the Lok Adalat bench, the couple resolved their differences and agreed to live together.
A third settlement involved a young couple married in 2022, who had separated following frequent disputes and allegations of taunts over dowry and verbal abuse. After repeated counselling, both agreed to reconcile and return to marital life with their one-year-old son.
National Lok Adalat at MP High Court Indore Bench
The National Lok Adalat was also organised at the Madhya Pradesh High Court's Indore Bench on Saturday. Of the 537 civil, MACT, writ, criminal and other cases listed before two benches, 241 cases were successfully settled.
Awards worth more than Rs 3.19 crore were passed in the settled matters, benefiting 1,170 litigants. Administrative judge Justice Subodh Abhyankar, Justice Rajendra Kumar Vani and Justice Jai Kumar Pillai inaugurated the Lok Adalat by lighting the ceremonial lamp. Benches headed by Justice Vani and Justice Pillai heard the cases.
