Forty-three cases from Dakshina Kannada, all pending before the Supreme Court of India, have been picked out for settlement at a special Lok Adalat in August. The Supreme Court will hold the event, called Samadhan Samaroh 2026, over three days from August 21 to 23.
Basavaraj, the principal district and sessions judge in Mangaluru and chairman of the District Legal Services Authority, announced the details to reporters on May 12, 2026. The Times of India and Deccan Herald both carried his remarks.
How the settlement process works
Across Karnataka, the Supreme Court has identified 4,328 cases it considers suitable for mediation. Dakshina Kannada accounts for 43 of them. Where a case falls within the jurisdiction of the Legal Services Authority, notices will go to the parties, mediators will be appointed and arrangements made for the mediation itself.
Anyone unsure about their pending Supreme Court case can approach the local Taluk Legal Services Committee or the District Legal Services Authority, the judge said.
There is a catch for those who settle. Once a case is resolved through a Lok Adalat, the settlement is final and no appeal is allowed. The upside is that the court fee already paid is refunded to the parties.
Other dates in the district
The National Lok Adalat takes place across Dakshina Kannada on July 11. It will hear a broad range of disputes, among them motor accident compensation, cheque bounce cases, matrimonial and property disputes, bank recovery cases, illegal sand mining, labour and land acquisition compensation, birth certificate issues, pension disputes and pre-litigation matters over electricity and water bills. Sittings will be held in the courts at Mangaluru, Puttur, Sullia, Bantwal, Belthangady and Moodubidire.
Cheque bounce cases get their own sessions. Special Lok Adalats for matters under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act are planned for July 18 and November 21. Dakshina Kannada has 13,357 pending cheque bounce cases, Basavaraj said.
The scale of the district’s docket explains the push. DLSA member secretary and senior civil judge Zaibunnisa said about 55,335 cases were pending in the district courts. At the previous Lok Adalat, in March, 3,197 cases were disposed of and compensation of Rs 19 crore was awarded.
Sources
- 43 cases from DK identified for settlement during Samadhan Samaroh: Judge | Mangaluru News – The Times of India
- 43 cases from Dakshina Kannada in Supreme Court eligible for Special Lok Adalat in August | Dailyhunt
