Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, April 03 2010:
Functioning of two First Track Courts in Manipur set up with 100% financial assistance from the Central government for disposal of Sessions cases pending for more than 2 years and important civil cases have stopped.
The functioning of the courts suspended from March 31 (Thursday) with the expiry of the five year term and Manipur government failure to issue orders extending the term further leaving many people whose cases are pending with the two courts as they have no prior information of about the sudden development in the judiciary system.
The two first track courts, First Track Court, Manipur East and Manipur West were set up by the Manipur law department under 100 percent financial assistance from the Eleventh Finance Commission awards for disposal of Sessions cases pending for more than 2 years and important civil cases.
These courts are meant to expeditiously clear the colossal scale of pendency in the district and subordinate courts under a time-bound programme taken up on top priority basis sessions and other cases involving undertrials.
Law department extended terms of the courts for every five years from time to time since its inception with the latest one in March 2006 .
The last extension period expired on March 31 last.
With the expiry of the term the functioning of the courts ceased from yesterday (April 1) as law department failed to issue orders extending the term.
The two courts mainly deal with the inquiry of alleged fake encounters occurred frequently in the state, civil cases.
The suspension of the court working is likely to affect in the justice delivery system in the state, many observed.
With regard to the stoppage of the court working, authorities of the two courts have appraised the Gauhati High Court Imphal Bench seeking reply to the position of the working of the judges of the two courts after government fails to extend the terms.
Lots of inconveniences have been caused to many people whose cases were pending with the two courts as they have no prior information with regard to ceasing of the functioning of the courts.