Thane: Thane district secured the top rank in Maharashtra by resolving 29,392 cases during the National Lok Adalat, awarding Rs 63.42 crore in settlements and disposing of several decades-old disputes.As many as 12,186 pending cases and 17,206 pre-litigation disputes were settled during the Lok Adalat held on Saturday, District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) secretary Ravindra S Pajankar said.Thane district has topped the state for the fifth consecutive time by settling 29,392 cases, he said.“The Lok Adalat and mediation process are the most effective means to permanently and quickly settle judicial disputes, saving both time and money for litigants,” he said.The Lok Adalat successfully resolved 567 extremely old cases, some of which had been pending for over 30 years.The official said that 120 motor accident compensation claims were settled, providing immediate relief of Rs 15.64 crore to victims’ families.The proceedings also saw the resolution of 30 matrimonial disputes, and 6,983 traffic challans and 1,146 cheque bounce cases were disposed of, he said.More than 8,700 accused in minor criminal cases confessed to their crimes, contributing Rs. 81.19 lakh in fines, he added.
