A long-awaited dream of the people of Attappady fulfilled on Saturday when Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated a Munsif Magistrate Court on the remote tribal hills.
Speaking on the occasion through video mode, the Chief Minister hoped that the new court would dispose of the bulk of pending cases from Attappady.
Mr. Vijayan said that multidimensional interventions were needed to strengthen judiciary, and that his government was duty-bound to ensure that. Reminding the legal fraternity that there are five crore cases pending in the courts across the country, the Chief Minister reiterated the overused adage that ‘justice delayed is justice denied’.
The Chief Minister said that his government had set up 101 courts in the State after it came to power in 2016. He said the government was duty-bound to strengthen the judiciary not only structurally, but also by ensuring the welfare of the lawyers.
However, the Chief Minister reminded the lawyers that better legal awareness and improved conduct by the lawyers were as important as enhancing the number of courts and judicial officers. “There was a time when lawyers used to make positive interventions when justice was denied. Humanitarian view used to take an upper hand. Lawyers used to take up socially relevant issues. All of them helped judiciary deliver justice,” he said.
The Munsif Magistrate Court was set up at a building where the block panchayat had earlier functioned. The government spent ₹20.10 lakh to renovate the building, which has offices for assistant public prosecutor, advocate clerks, and junior superintendent, apart from the court room, judicial officer’s room, record room, and a criminal wing property room.
As many as 22 employees were appointed for the Munsif Court and five for the Magistrate Court. Mannarkkad Munsif Magistrate Kavya Soman took charge and presided over the judicial proceedings soon after the inauguration.
Ms. Soman heard 10 civil cases and as many criminal cases within an hour. She also heard a statement of a tribal woman, a survivor of POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act case, under CrPC 164.
Minister for Power K. Krishnankutty presided over the function held at EMS Town Hall, Agali. High Court Judge in charge of Palakkad judicial district Dinesh Kumar Singh unveiled a plaque and delivered a special address. PWD executive engineer Rajesh Chandran C. presented a report.
Additional Superintendent of Police K.L. Radhakrishnan, block panchayat president Maruthi Murukan, Agali grama panchayat president Ambika Lakshmanan, and Integrated Tribal Development Project officer V.K. Suresh Kumar spoke.
Principal District and Sessions Judge Ananthakrishna Navada K. welcomed the gathering. Chief Judicial Magistrate Sreeja V. proposed a vote of thanks. Deputy Director of Prosecutions P. Premnath and assistant public prosecutor Abdul Wahab V. were present.
