Mysore/Mysuru: The mega Lok Adalat held in city and District Courts yesterday, saw disposal of 55 cases, involving  a total loan repayment of Rs. 22.84 crore.

Principal District and Sessions Court Judge Ravindra Hegde demonstrated compassion and justice by meeting aged women litigants at City Court building’s portico to obtain their signature on the settlement order in a commercial dispute case.

A developer had borrowed Rs.17 crore from 16 different individuals before he met an untimely death nearly two years ago. Subsequently, the lenders knocked on the doors of the deceased borrower’s mother seeking to return their investment. But she refused to pay them on request saying that she won’t repay the loans borrowed  by her late son.

Later, each of the 16 lenders petitioned the Court seeking their investment back from the developer’s wife, son and mother. The case had been pending in the Court for the last one-and half-year and it was finally settled through a compromise with parties agreeing to end the dispute, following counselling by the Principal District and Sessions Judge Ravindra Hegde.

In another instance, Judge Ravindra Hegde climbed down the stairs to obtain the signatures of the parties when two elderly women litigants faced a challenge in reaching the courtroom due to their advanced age and inability to climb the stairs to the Court Hall on the first floor. The Judge read out the compromise petitions, documented their consent and then obtained their signature on the papers.  Nagarathna A. Rao, an 81-year old woman petitioner agreed and signed on the order, sitting inside her car, to receive Rs. 1.73 crore and another petitioner too agreed to receive Rs. 3.65 crore as settlement .

Judge Hegde told reporters that 55 cases, including the 16 related to a developer , were disposed of in the Court during  the day-long Mega Lok Adalat, which saw a settlement of loan repayments amounting to Rs. 22.84 crore. He thanked the advocates of plaintiffs and defendants and  Mysore Bar Association members for their co-operation.

District Legal Services Authority Member- Secretary B.G. Dinesh, First Additional District and Sessions Judge D. Puttaswamy  were present.