City gets first evening court

LUDHIANA : Inching its way towards speedier justice, the city finally got its first evening court at the district courts complex on Monday. Lawyers said this would ensure that backlog is reduced and people don't have to wait for years to get justice.

Though evening courts were earlier launched in Patiala, Jalandhar and Amritsar, the project was reportedly shelved after advocates protested against the move.

Justice Ashutosh Mohunta of Punjab and Haryana High Court inaugurated the evening court in the presence of members of the bar, commissioner of police Ishwar Singh, deputy commissioner Vikas Garg, Khanna SSP S S Mann, SP City-I Harsh Kumar Bansal and president of district bar association Naval Kishore Chibbar.

Justice Mohunta said the evening court would work from 4.30pm to 5.30pm on all working days under the

presiding officer, Amit Thind, who is judicial magistrate (First Class).

He added that over 1.18 lakh cases were pending in district courts in Ludhiana. ''Of these, 32,700 cases are related to cheque bounce. All these cases will be taken up in the evening courts. Other cases like traffic challans, challans under Punjab Shops Commercial Establishment Act, claim petitions under Motor Vehicles Act and those under Section 138 of Negotiable Instruments Act, in which the amount is up to Rs 50,000 would also be taken up during the evening court. Apart from these, civil suits for recovery in which the amount is up to Rs 50,000, cases under IPC in which there is only a fine and in any other case where the parties, by consent, want the case to be tried in evening courts, would also be heard here,'' he said.

Justice Mohunta said, ''The Chief Justice of India are I are relieved that this project has finally been launched here. The movement started from Gujarat and evening courts are doing well in Haryana.''

He expressed hope that the evening courts would not only be beneficial for the litigants, but for the entire judiciary. ''It's an endeavour towards speedy justice,'' he added.
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