Bilaspur, July 18, 2026: In a major judicial outreach, Hon’ble Mr. Justice Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice of the High Court of Chhattisgarh and Patron-in-Chief of the Chhattisgarh State Legal Services Authority (CGLSA), virtually inaugurated the Special Lok Adalat organised for cases under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act from the District and Sessions Court, Dantewada. Following the ceremonial lighting of the lamp at the District and Sessions Court, Dantewada, Hon’ble the Chief Justice officially declared the proceedings open across all 23 districts of Chhattisgarh, reinforcing the judiciary’s commitment to ensuring fast-track and mutually agreeable settlements for all parties involved.
Connecting virtually from the District and Sessions Court in Dantewada to every judgeship across Chhattisgarh, Hon’ble the Chief Justice marked the commencement of the Special Lok Adalat by emphasizing its core purpose: the amicable resolution of Section 138 Negotiable Instruments Act cases. He noted that because offences under the Negotiable Instruments Act are compoundable, fresh disputes can be settled immediately, offering a vital mechanism to reduce pendency across various courts. Highlighting that 9,641 cases had been identified for this statewide drive, Hon’ble the Chief Justice motivated judicial officers to act as catalysts for settlement, strive for maximum resolution of cases, and expressed strong optimism for a successful outcome by the end of the day.
Hon’ble the Chief Justice also highlighted that the Hon’ble Supreme Court is organizing a ‘Samadhan Samaroh’ from August 21 to 23, 2026, to resolve cases pending before the Supreme Court. He called upon all the Principal District and Sessions Judges, along with key stakeholders, to proactively contribute towards settling the maximum number of cases to ensure the resounding success of this upcoming national initiative.
Following the inauguration, Hon’ble Mr. Justice Ramesh Sinha planted a Rudraksha (Elaeocarpus ganitrus) sapling in the premises of the District and Sessions Court, Dantewada. Thereafter, he personally inspected the courtrooms, the Digitization Centre, and the benches constituted for the Special Lok Adalat. During the visit, he also interacted with representatives of various financial institutions and encouraged them to adopt a proactive approach towards the amicable settlement of disputes.
Subsequently, Hon’ble Mr. Justice Ramesh Sinha visited and inspected the District and Sessions Court, Jagdalpur. During the visit, he interacted with judicial officers, members of the Bar, and court staff, and reviewed the arrangements made for organizing the Special Lok Adalat as well as the functioning of the digitisation facilities in the district.
A bench presided over by Hon’ble Mr. Justice Rakesh Mohan Pandey has been constituted at the High Court to facilitate the settlement of cases under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, for this Special Lok Adalat.
As per the final data compiled across the High Court and all 23 districts, 1,996 cases out of the 9,641 identified cheque-bounce cases were successfully resolved, with settlements amounting to Rs. 57,01,35,387.
The success of this Special Lok Adalat highlights the State Judiciary’s targeted effort to reduce the backlog of commercial litigation under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881. Driven by Hon’ble Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha’s vision of speedy, affordable and responsive justice, the initiative actively facilitated both pre-litigation and pending case settlements, maximizing the potential of alternative dispute resolution and providing long-awaited relief to litigants and financial institutions alike.
