Madras High court pulls up Coimbatore sub court

 

In her order, Justice S. Vimala said that two different appeal petitions were adjourned by the district court 89 times and 48 times only because the records were awaited from the additional court. “The sub court in Coimbatore is directed to send the records immediately, if not already sent, and the learned district judge is directed to dispose of the appeal within a period of one month from the date of receipt of a copy of this order,” she said.

 

Aggrieved over the judgment from the additional sub court in Coimbatore in a case related to partition of family assets, two petitioners filed appeal petitions with the Coimbatore district court in April 2008.

 

Since then, these two cases have been adjourned only on the ground of ‘records awaited’ till April 2014. Justice Vimala said the entry ‘await records’ has suffered ditto 89 times. Only 2 or 3 entries read: Judge on transfer, Judge on leave and Judge on duty. And in another case, the last docket entry was ‘await records’ in June 2014 for the 48th time, she said.

 

Asking why the records were not sent to the additional court from the sub court, both of which are situated on the same campus, she said, “Calling of records’ could have been complied with in 10 minutes, but it has not been implemented and the appeal is pending for nearly 5 to 6 years only for want of records.

 

There is no justification on the part of the sub court to have remained mute without complying with directions for ‘calling for records.’ There could have been no scope for calling for records had there been computerisation at the level of subordinate courts.”

 

The judge observed that in the era of information and technology, the whole world was moving at ‘rocket speed’ and digitising of records in court was the need of the hour.