Courts clear 67 of 300 adoption cases
Courts clear 67 of 300 adoption cases
16 Dec 2008, 0650 hrs IST, Deeksha Chopra, TNN
Print Email Discuss Share Save CommentText:
NEW DELHI: Following the HC directive to clear all pending adoption cases in four weeks, 67 cases have been disposed of since November 15
until date by the district and sessions judge Mamta Sehgal. As many as 300 adoption cases had been pending with the district courts. Further these cases have now been divided among two other district judges in an effort to lighten load and expedite proceedings in the timeframe. Earlier, all adoption cases were being dealt with by district and sessions judge Mamta Sehgal. In a further move, all new adoption cases would now be divided among the nine district courts. As a reaction to a TOI report on November 14, Chief Justice of Delhi High Court A P Shah called a meeting with Coordinating Voluntary Adoption Resource Agency (CVARA) and concerned district and sessions court judges and gave a deadline of four weeks to district courts to dispose of all 300 pending cases and submit a report to him at the end of this period.
The action followed a TOI report on November 14 on how adoption cases were being held up for six months to a year in the Delhi district court, despite a Supreme Court judgment and directive, making it mandatory that all adoption cases be disposed of within two months.
As a result, things have started moving quite swiftly in district courts. Already, 67 cases have been disposed of since November 15 until date by the district and session's judge Mamta Sehgal, who was earlier single-handedly looking after adoption. Now, some of the pending cases with her have been transferred to two other district judges in Tis Hazari.
The other two district judges, who are now also handling adoption cases, are M L Mehta of North district and Rakesh Kapoor of West district.
Said district judge Rakesh Kapoor: "The old adoption cases will be handled between the three district judges in Tis Hazari and the new cases filed will be divided between the nine district judges in all courts. About 200 cases of adoption and guardianship will be transferred to my court. Now that cases have been divided, they will be disposed of expeditiously. Previously, only one judge was dealing with them."
Meanwhile, when TOI tried contacting district and sessions judge Mamta Sehgal, she refused to comment on the matter.
Leila Baig, hony secretary CVARA, told TOI that agencies and lawyers are very happy with this move and are quite positive that held up cases in the district court will now be cleared: "We are very happy with the prompt move by the hony Chief Justice of Delhi High Court and district court judge after TOI published the report on long delays in adoption cases. Many adoption agencies have contacted us, expressing their gratitude. Lawyers have also noted that cases are moving faster."
Lawyers have applauded this direction and say that cases are now being decided very swiftly. "I had at least 40 adoption cases pending in Tis Hazari court, but in the last 20 days itself, 20 of those cases have been cleared by the judges, which is a phenomenal rate. I personally am quite pleased with the rate at which cases are now being disposed of and hope it will continue," said advocate Mohinder Singh.