Supreme Court Limits Challenges to Lok Adalat Awards to High Court Writs

Overview

• On December 10, a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta set aside Madhya Pradesh High Court orders that refused to hear a writ against a Jabalpur Lok Adalat compromise decree.
• The Court held that executing courts may enforce Lok Adalat awards as decrees but have no authority to annul the awards or reassess the underlying compromise.
• The only permissible challenge route is the High Court’s supervisory writ jurisdiction under Articles 226/227, not ordinary civil suits or execution-stage objections.
• The appellant was directed to withdraw his execution objections within four weeks, and he will not be dispossessed until the High Court rules on the writ.
• The case, Dilip Mehta v. Rakesh Gupta, concerns a May 14, 2022 award the appellant alleges was procured by fraud and behind his back.