Shortage of court halls hampering speedy disposal of cases in Mandya

Mandya: Justice delayed is justice denied is well-known maxim. This is what is happening in the district as the Mandya district court complex is facing acute shortage of court halls to conduct hearings.

The present complex situated near the office of the Deputy Commissioner has 15 different courts. Seven of the courts are facing shortage of space while the number of cases are increasing day by day.

Such is the pathetic state of affairs that many court proceeding are being conducted in the verandah, car shed and even beside the toilet. Four years back a family court was sanctioned but it is not taking up cases on a regular basis owing to the shortage of space in the court complex. A woman petitioner told The Hans India on Thursday that she has been waiting for justice for the last three years. She lamented that her case is being delayed as the court has no space. Women are forced to stand endlessly in the crowded court complex as there is no seating arrangement. According to her, even advocates have no room to sit in court halls.

Sadly, the proceedings of the second additional JMFC court are being conducted in a congested room after converting a car shed and a portion of the canteen into a court hall.

The State government has sanctioned a labour court but it is yet to start functioning for obvious reasons. For now all the labour related cases are being heard in the Mysuru labour court. Clients and advocates have to travel 50 km to

Mysuru for hearing of cases. It is certainly a huge financial burden on poor labourers who will lose a day's salary besides being obliged to spend on bus fares and their stay in the city.

Speaking to The Hans India, Mandya District Bar Association president M T Rajendra said that there is no space for economic offenses court. The administrative hall has also been converted into a court leaving hardly any room for advocates. He said the bar association has requested Mandya university to spare two rooms for conducting court proceedings. The university authorities who initially agreed to help did a volte face.

An advocate, T S Sathyananda, said that by the year 2027 Supreme Court judge and a native of Ingalaguppe in Pandavapura taluk Justice B V Nagarathna would become Chief Justice of India. It would be an irony that her own native district will suffer the ignominy of having not enough space to conduct court proceedings and dispense justice speedily.

The State government in the year 2017 has sanctioned Rs 24 crore for construction of seven court halls. But the authorities have failed to find suitable land for the construction resulting in lapsing of funds.

The court authorities are writing to higher authorities every year to provide court halls but the pleas are falling on deaf ears.