RAJIVE BHALLA,J - (1.) PRAYER in this petition filed under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure is for quashing the order dated 26.4.2003, Annexure P-2, passed by the Lok Adalat, Ludhiana.
(2.) COUNSEL for the petitioner contends that in gross violation of the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the police filed an untraced report before the Presiding Officer, Lok Adalat, Ludhiana, on 26.4.2003. Upon consideration of the said report, the Lok Adalat declined to accept the cancellation report filed by the police and issued directions for further investigation. It is contended that a Lok Adalat constituted under Legal Services Authority Act, 1987, is not a regular Court. A Lok Adalat can dispose of matters only where parties arrive at a compromise and therefore the order passed by the Lok Adalat, rejecting the untraced report and directing the police to reinvestigate the matter, is without jurisdiction. Reliance in this regard is placed upon a judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court reported as State of Punjab v. Mohinderjit Kaur, 2005(1) RCR (Civil) 419.
(3.) COUNSEL for the State of Punjab submits that after the order of the Lok Adalat, the police is reinvestigating the FIR.;