The Special Lok Adalat was held from August 21 to 23 under the guidance of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant. Photo: Special Arrangement
The three-day Special Lok Adalat held at the Supreme Court as part of the Samadhan Samaroh 2026 concluded on August 23, 2026, with 1,712 cases settled or disposed of, according to the Supreme Court.
A total of 3,285 cases were listed during the three-day exercise. Of these, 1,664 were settled or disposed of through the Lok Adalat, while 48 cases were resolved through mediation.
On August 21, 2026, 588 cases were listed and 402 were settled or disposed of. Photo: Special Arrangement
The Special Lok Adalat was held from August 21 to 23 under the guidance of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant. senior judges, senior advocates, advocates-on-record, and other advocates were part of the Lok Adalat Benches, which were assisted by officials of the Supreme Court Registry.
The initiative, called Supreme Court Action for Mediated Adjudication and Disputes Harmonization Across Nation (SAMADHAN), began on April 21 with a pre-settlement process to identify pending cases that could be resolved amicably.
On August 21, 588 cases were listed and 402 were settled or disposed of. On August 22, 1,159 cases were listed, of which 350 were settled or disposed of. On August 23, 1,538 cases were listed and 912 were settled or disposed of.
The cases included matrimonial and property disputes, motor accident claims, land acquisition and compensation matters, tax cases, and service and labour disputes.
The initiative began on April 21 with a pre-settlement process to identify pending cases that could be resolved amicably. Photo: Special Arrangement
A total of ₹240.94 crore was settled during the three-day period. The Supreme Court said the exercise was aimed at promoting consensual dispute resolution, reducing pendency and saving judicial time in matters that could be resolved through settlement.
Cases were also disposed of amicably between April 21 and August 20 as part of the wider pre-settlement exercise.
Long-pending disputes resolved
The Samadhan Samaroh also helped settle several long-pending disputes. One involved a tenancy dispute in Jaipur that had been in litigation for 47 years. The dispute over a shop, which had been under tenancy since 1952, reached the Supreme Court in 2017. The parties reached a settlement with the help of the District Legal Services Authority, Jaipur.
In another case involving agricultural land in Ayodhya, a settlment deed was executed across international borders via WhatsApp. A party residing in Dubai signed the settlement deed there and sent a scanned copy to his lawyers in India. The parties agreed on a division of the disputed land.
A commercial dispute dating back to 1978 between Saudi Arabian company AL Mustaneer Establishment and Syndicate Bank, now part of Canara Bank, was also settled after mediation in July 2026. The matter had reached the Supreme Court in 2017.
Published – August 25, 2026 12:37 pm IST
