Post offices in Jammu and Kashmir to help deliver justice

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 7

Post offices in Jammu and Kashmir will help deliver justice. In an out-of-the-ordinary initiative, the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir is on Monday launching a project that uses the pre-existent postal system in 11 districts to allow citizens to register their disputes through the local post offices as well as common service centres.

The project, Insaf Ki Dastak, is scheduled to be e-inaugurated by the High Court Justice Gita Mittal at 12.30 pm. A YouTube channel of the J&K High Court will also be launched during the programme. 

Jammu & Kashmir Legal Services Authority Executive Chairman Justice Rajesh Bindal, scheduled to deliver address during the programme, said the court is undertaking an elaborate exercise to ensure justice reaches the remotest corner of the Union Territories, especially areas rendered inaccessible following protracted harsh weather.

Justice Bindal said the initiative would be also benefit the marginalised communities, predominantly people, who find it tough to approach the Munsiff, the Magistrate, the District and Sessions Courts and the High Court due to ignorance, illiteracy, disability, poverty or other disabling reasons.

Justice Bindal said: “A party residing in a remote area, desirous of filing a case before a Judicial Magistrate, may file it before the nearest approved centre operated by the Government of India/Union Territory governments approved by the High Court or the nearest post office established by the Department of Post, Ministry of Communications, Government of India, in collaboration with the Legal Services Authority (LSA), High Court of Jammu and Kashmir.” 

Justice Bindal added a para-legal volunteer or a panel lawyer duly appointed by a legal service institution attached to the centre approved by the LSA or District LSA may assist the party in drafting and filing the case at the designated post office or the approved centre.

The said post office or approved centre/court of lowest jurisdiction will maintain the entire record of filing of cases in soft form and registers specially maintained for the purposes.

The hearing of these cases would also be undertaken through video-conferencing wherever possible. Such cases would be accorded priority for listing/hearing, he said.