43 cases from Dakshina Kannada in Supreme Court eligible for Special Lok Adalat in August

Mangaluru: The Supreme Court will organise Samadhan Samaroh 2026, a special Lok Adalat, over three days from August 21 to 23, to amicably settle pending cases, including those from Dakshina Kannada, said Principal District and Sessions Judge and Chairman of the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) Basavaraj.

He said that the Supreme Court had identified 4,328 cases in the state, of which 43 are in Dakshina Kannada pending before the apex court — that are eligible for settlement through mediation. If the cases fall within the jurisdiction of the Legal Services Authority, notices will be issued, suitable mediators will be appointed, and arrangements will be made for mediation proceedings, he told mediapersons in Mangaluru.

If parties have any doubts regarding the settlement of their pending cases in the Supreme Court, they may contact the local Taluk Legal Services Committee or the District Legal Services Authority.

Cheque bounce cases

Similarly, as cheque bounce cases are increasing across the country, special Lok Adalats relating to Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments (NI) Act, ie, cheque bounce cases, will also be held on July 18 and November 21.

Public awareness regarding this will also be created, and a platform has been provided for parties to settle more cases amicably. In Dakshina Kannada. There are 13,357 cheque bounce cases in the district, the judge added.

National Lok Adalat

He said that the National Lok Adalat will be held across Dakshina Kannada district on July 11, aiming to resolve the disputes quickly and amicably.

The Lok Adalat aims to provide a platform for swift resolution of compensation cases, motor vehicle accident, cheque bounce cases, civil disputes, including matrimonial and property-related issues, bank loan recovery cases, illegal sand mining, compensation related to labour and land acquisition, cases pertaining to birth certificates, pre-litigation matters involving electricity, water bills, pension related issues and so on. The Lok Adalat will be held in the courts at Mangaluru, Puttur, Sullia, Bantwal, Belthangady and Moodbidri.

The judge said once a case pending in a court of law is settled through a Lok Adalat, the court fee originally paid is refunded to the parties, and the settlement is final and no appeal is allowed.

DLSA member secretary Zaibunissa said that as of April there are 55,335 cases pending in the district. During the previous Lok Adalat held on March 14, a total of 3,197 cases were disposed of and Rs 19.06 crore compensation was awarded.