Litigants seek additional family court
Over 4,000 cases are pending with the existing family court
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-09-16 03:23 GMT
Coimbatore: The opening of an additional family court for Coimbatore has been delayed for more than a year for no reason. Over 4,000 cases are pending with the existing family court and scores of couples are desperate to get final orders from the court.
According to court officials, over 2,000 fresh cases are filed every year with the existing court which was started way back in 1995. They also expect that the mediation centre should be strengthened to dispose of cases in a speedy manner.
Cases related to domestic violence, maintenance, divorce, adoption and guardianship and parental rights are heard in the family court. Petitioner Sathya (names changed) filed a case with the Coimbatore family court in 2005, seeking maintenance of Rs10,000 from her husband Ramu, a government employee.
She moved court to get maintenance to raise her son. Due to delay in the disposal of the case, she is forced to lead a hand-to-mouth existence. Her advocate M.V. Vijaya Ragavan says that a new court should be set up immediately.
"There is a huge increase of cases being filed in the family court every year. Considering the pendency, government should come forward to open the court without further delay," he suggested.
Madurai-based voluntary organisation EKTA, which conducted a study on family courts in Tamil Nadu, suggested that a child care centre be set up in the Coimbatore court complex. "The counselling room in the family court should be improved and a child care centre should be opened. Marriage counsellors should be appointed in the family courts to provide guidance to young men and women about married life and how to accept realities," said Bimla Chandrasekar, director of EKTA.