A FAMILY GETS REUNITED IN THE NATIONAL LOK ADALAT; AMICABLE SETTLEMENT OF A MARITAL DISPUTE PENDING FOR OVER 18 YEARS
Face2News/Chandigarh
The fourth National Lok Adalat of the year was successfully organized by the Haryana State Legal Services Authority (HALSA) under the guidance of Hon’ble Justice Lisa Gill, Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and Executive Chairperson, HALSA. The Lok Adalat was held across all 22 districts and 35 sub-divisions of Haryana through the District Legal Services Authorities. Including pre-Lok Adalat sittings, a total of 553,741 cases were disposed of, reflecting the strong commitment of HALSA and the judiciary towards ensuring accessible and speedy justice.
A Family Reunited in the Lok Adalat; Amicable Settlement of a Marital Dispute Pending for Over 18 Years
A highly satisfying outcome emerged through mediation in the National Lok Adalat, wherein a husband and wife were reunited after more than 18 years of separation, leading to an amicable and dignified resolution of a long-standing marital dispute. The couple was married on December 4, 2001. Due to marital discord, they separated on July 5, 2008.
Despite several reconciliation efforts over the years, the dispute remained unresolved, ultimately resulting in litigation. During the mediation session presided over by the Presiding Officer-cum-Additional Principal Judge, Ms. Poonam Kanwar, Family Court, Gurugram, and Legal Aid Member Ms. Alreena Senapati, both parties engaged in constructive dialogue. As a result of effective mediation, all disputes between them were resolved amicably, and they agreed to resume their marital life.
Five-Year-Old Dispute Relating to Custody of a Minor Child Also Resolved
In the National Lok Adalat, a five-year-old custody dispute relating to a minor child was amicably resolved by the Principal Judge, Family Court, Kurukshetra, Sh. Vivek Singhal. The petition filed under the Guardians and Wards Act (G.W.-24-2020), in which the grandmother had sought custody of her minor grandson, was settled after effective counseling and judicial intervention. After interacting with the minor child, his mother, and grandmother, and keeping the welfare of the child as paramount consideration, the parties arrived at a mutual settlement in the pre-Lok Adalat on December 12, 2025. As per the settlement, custody of the minor child will remain with the mother, while the grandmother has been granted monthly visitation rights within the court premises.
During a comprehensive review meeting held on December 10, 2025, with the Chairpersons and Secretaries of all District Legal Services Authorities and Presiding Officers of Lok Adalat benches, Hon’ble Justice Lisa Gill emphasized the importance of sincere, coordinated, and proactive efforts for effective disposal of cases. She had urged the use of mediation as a vital tool to resolve disputes swiftly, fairly, and through mutual consent.
Justice Gill encouraged the Lok Adalat benches to demonstrate the highest level of commitment and efficiency to ensure maximum disposal of cases in the National Lok Adalat, thereby furthering the objective of accessible and affordable justice for all.
On the day of the National Lok Adalat, the District and Sessions Judge-cum-Member Secretary, Haryana State Legal Services Authority, Sh. Jagdeep Singh, closely monitored the functioning of Lok Adalats across the State through video conferencing. He also personally inspected the Lok Adalat benches organized at the District Courts, Panchkula, and reviewed the proceedings by interacting with the litigants.
A total of 192 benches were constituted for hearing pre-litigation and pending cases across various courts. These included a wide range of matters such as civil disputes, matrimonial cases, motor accident claims, bank recovery cases, cheque bounce cases, traffic challans, compoundable criminal cases, and matters before Permanent Lok Adalats (Public Utility Services).