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A decades-old property dispute involving agricultural land in Ayodhya was brought to an amicable end during the Supreme Court's Samadhan Samaroh on August 22, with technology playing a crucial role in enabling one of the parties to participate in the settlement from Dubai.
The matter was heard by a bench comprising Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Shree Chandrashekhar. The civil dispute had its origins in an agreement dating back to 1972 and involved competing claims over agricultural land in Ayodhya. As part of the settlement process, the parties negotiated the division of the disputed property at the District Legal Services Authority in Ayodhya. However, respondent Mohd. Tausif, who is currently residing in Dubai, could not be physically present. His absence, however, did not come in the way of the settlement. To record his consent, Tausif printed the settlement deed, prepared in Hindi, in Dubai and signed it. He then scanned the signed document and sent it to his legal representatives in India through WhatsApp. The digitally transmitted document enabled the parties to complete the settlement and avoid further litigation. Under the final settlement, the appellants, represented by the Shiv Kumar side, will receive a 53 per cent share of the disputed property situated on its northern side. The respondents, represented by Mohd. Rafiq and Tausif, will receive the remaining 47 per cent share on the southern side. The parties have also agreed to mutually use a minor 'patri' (pathway) on the western side of the property for access. The settlement is an example of how alternative dispute resolution mechanisms can adapt to practical circumstances and use technology to facilitate consensual resolution. Despite one party being thousands of kilometres away, the settlement was completed through a simple digital exchange, allowing the decades-old dispute to finally reach closure. The resolution during the Samadhan Samaroh underscores the Supreme Court's effort to use Lok Adalat and other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to provide expeditious and accessible justice, while demonstrating how geographical distance need not prevent parties from reaching an amicable settlement. The three-day Special Lok Adalat from August 21-23 under Samadhan Samaroh saw 3,285 cases listed, with 1,664 cases settled or disposed of during the proceedings. Another 48 matters were resolved through mediation, taking the total number of disposals to 1,712. (ANI)
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