Pune: For the first time, a civil case involving division of ancestral land was resolved among relatives through a WhatsApp video call during the Lok Adalat at the Pune District Court on Saturday, after the defendant parties agreed to pay Rs 36 lakh to the petitioner.Two siblings demanded a share of the 60 hectare land parcel in Velhe village from their mother’s eight relatives, including maternal uncle and aunt.
The relatives opposed their demand and there was a long legal battle in the civil court. Both parties later agreed for settlement in the Lok Adalat.
However, on Saturday, one of the siblings was in Delhi. Therefore, a video call via WhatsApp was made by the defendants’ lawyer in front of the judge and the person gave his consent for settlement by accepting Rs 36 lakh instead of the land.
Advocate Nitin Zanzad and Adv Subhash Pawar, who represented the opposite parties, said, “After the client expressed his consent when asked by the judge, the settlement was finalised. This is the first time such a thing has happened in a civil dispute.”
Highest settlement for Rs 8.47 crore.
In 2015, a mental health rehabilitation centre had taken a loan of Rs 7.36 crore from HDFC Bank. However, the cheques given to repay the loan amount were dishonoured, following which the bank filed a case against the company in September 2017. The matter was finally settled in the Lok Adalat after the company agreed to pay Rs 8.47 crore to the bank.
Family of deceased awarded Rs 42 lakh compensation.
The family members of Sitaram Nimse of Alephata were awarded compensation of Rs 42 lakh. In 2012, he had died after being hit by a car. His family members had moved the Motor Accident Claim Tribunal (MACT) seeking compensation of Rs 60 lakh from the car owner and its insurance company, as their earning member had died. The compensation amount was settled for Rs 42 lakh.
