Kangan residents renew demand for Additional Sessions Judge Court, cite decades of hardship

Ganderbal, May 16: Residents of Kangan Sub-Division have once again strongly reiterated their long-pending demand for the establishment of an Additional SessionsJudge Court at Kangan, saying the absence of the judicial institution has subjected people of the area to immense hardship and inconvenience for decades.

A delegation comprising prominent citizens, social activists and legal representatives on Saturday visited the office of Greater Kashmir and expressed concern over what they described as the continued neglect of Kangan Sub-Division despite its vast territorial jurisdiction, difficult mountainous terrain, strategic importance and growing volume of litigation.

The delegation stated that Kangan is one of the largest and geographically most challenging subdivisions of district Ganderbal, comprising the three major tehsils of Kangan, Gund and Lar. The subdivision stretches nearly 80 kilometres from Manigam to Zero Point Sonamarg, forcing litigants from remote areas to undertake long and expensive journeys to attend court proceedings at Ganderbal.

According to the residents, the subdivision has a population of over 70,000 and is inhabited by diverse ethnic, linguistic and tribal communities, including Kashmiris, Gujjars, Pahadis, Dard Shin, Kohistani, Pashtoon and Balti communities. Minority communities, including Kashmiri Pandits and Sikhs, also reside in the area, making Kangan a culturally diverse region of Jammu and Kashmir.

The residents further said that apart from the tehsils of Kangan and Gund, several villages of Lar and adjoining areas, including Haripora, Arhama and Anderwan, also fall within the jurisdiction of the subdivision, significantly increasing the volume of litigation originating from the area.

Speaking on behalf of the residents, Mohammad Shafi Shah of Tangchatter Kangan said people from far-flung areas such as Sonamarg, Kullan, Mammar, Thune, Kachpati and Hilpati face tremendous difficulties due to the absence of an Additional Sessions Judge Court at Kangan.

He said litigants are often compelled to travel 50 to 60 kilometres to attend criminal and civil cases before the Sessions Court at Ganderbal. He added that many villages situated in higher reaches remain poorly connected, particularly during winter, forcing villagers to walk through snow-covered terrain before accessing transport towards Ganderbal.

Shah further said that people belonging to economically weaker sections are unable to bear repeated travel expenses, adversely affecting their access to justice.

The delegation also pointed out that the Kangan constituency has been reserved for Scheduled Tribes because of its backwardness, remoteness and poor socio-economic conditions. Instead of providing special institutional support, they alleged, the authorities have continuously ignored the genuine judicial requirements of the people.

President of Bar Association Kangan, Advocate Suhail Ahmad Mir, while speaking on behalf of the legal fraternity, expressed concern over the continued non-establishment of the court despite repeated representations submitted to the competent authorities.

He said the subdivision presently has three police stations and two seasonal police posts at Baltal and Gagangeer owing to the strategic and sensitive nature of the area, particularly during the annual Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra.

Mir said a considerable number of criminal cases, including matters under the NDPS Act and other serious offences, originate from Kangan Sub-Division and are presently being tried before the Sessions Court at Ganderbal.

According to him, the absence of an Additional Sessions Judge Court at Kangan has caused inconvenience not only to litigants but also to witnesses, police officials, accused persons and lawyers, all of whom are compelled to travel repeatedly to Ganderbal for hearings.

He further alleged that a substantial volume of litigation originating from Kangan is being instituted before courts at Ganderbal and, in some cases, suits are deliberately valued in a manner that enables their institution outside Kangan jurisdiction, thereby depriving local courts of judicial work and causing further inconvenience to litigants.

Drawing a comparison with Sumbal Sub-Division, Mir said the latter, despite being comparatively smaller in terms of population and territorial jurisdiction, has already been provided with an Additional Sessions Judge Court, while Kangan continues to remain deprived despite facing greater geographical difficulties and a larger litigation burden.

“Why is Kangan being subjected to step-motherly treatment despite its genuine and pressing requirements?” he questioned.

Mir said several representations and memoranda have already been submitted before the Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, the Administrative Judge for district Ganderbal, elected representatives, Members of Legislative Assembly and Members of Parliament seeking immediate establishment of the court at Kangan.

He added that residents and the Bar Association have recently learnt that the matter is presently under active consideration before the Chief Justice and Administrative Judge for district Ganderbal, Rahul Bharti, and expressed hope that the long-pending demand would finally be fulfilled in the larger interest of justice and public convenience.

The residents and members of the legal fraternity appealed to the High Court authorities to sympathetically consider the hardships faced by the people of the vast mountainous subdivision and establish the Additional Sessions Judge Court at Kangan at the earliest to ensure accessible and affordable justice.

“Better late than never,” the residents remarked with hope and expectation.