Yadgir district courts set to hold final National Lok Adalat on December 12

The final National Lok Adalat of the year will take place across all courts in Yadgir district on December 12. Principal District and Sessions judge H.J. Marulasiddaradhya announced that 840 pending cases have been selected so far for out-of-court settlements. Out of 20,080 total pending cases across district and taluk courts, this number is expected to grow before the event. The Lok Adalat will handle compoundable criminal cases, bank recovery suits, employment disputes, Debt Recovery Tribunal matters, cheque bounce cases, motor accident claims, family disputes except divorce, and civil cases. Litigants will get a full refund of court fees for cases settled here, and the public can also bring pre-litigation disputes for fast resolution at low cost.

Court Expansion And Cheque Bounces

The High Court of Karnataka has approved a new court for Gurmitkal. A temporary circuit court will operate from the Gurmitkal Town Hall on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, run by judges from Yadgir until permanent buildings are ready. A proposal for a court in Hunasagi awaits clearance by the end of the month. Meanwhile, a special Lok Adalat focused only on cheque bounce cases is scheduled for November 21. Superintendent of Police Pruthvik Shankar instructed police to ensure prompt delivery of summons and warrants for these cases.

Traffic Fines And Rebate

Yadgir police issued 28,120 traffic e-challans between October 2025 and October 2026, but penalties were collected for only 2,232 of them. This leaves 25,888 challans pending. Helmet and seatbelt violations made up 19,000 of these cases, while triple-riding accounted for 4,100. Total pending fines stand at ₹1.63 crore, with only ₹12 lakh recovered so far. An AI-based Intelligent Traffic Management System launched in June now generates 4,000 to 5,000 automated challans each month.

Fine Discounts

Superintendent Pruthvik Shankar announced a 50% discount on traffic fines for challans issued between 1991 and 2025. Violators can pay reduced dues from November 21 to December 11, 2026, online or at Yadgir Town, Rural, and Traffic police stations. Regional Transport Officer Milind Kumar added that the Transport Department booked 2,220 motor vehicle violation cases between 2000 and 2025 with ₹69.36 lakh in total fines, and will also offer a 50% fine discount during the same window. Senior civil judge Mariappa and RTO Shirastedar Mounesh attended the briefing.

Context

Lok Adalats function as an alternative dispute resolution mechanism in India to reduce the massive backlog of cases pending in regular courts. They help citizens settle disputes amicably without paying court fees or enduring long trials. Traffic police and transport departments often offer temporary fine discounts to clear old backlogs and encourage better compliance with road safety rules.