Justice K. Murali Shankar and Justice G. Jayachandran, Judges of the Madras High Court inaugurated the new court facility. | Photo credit: Special arrangement
A new District Munsif and Judicial Magistrate Court was inaugurated at Chennangkuppam village in KV Kuppam near Katpadi in Vellore on Friday, bringing relief to hundreds of litigants in nearby villages who have to travel to Katpadi, about 30 km away, for filing applications.
Justice K. Murali Shankar and Justice G. Jayachandran, Judges of the Madras High Court inaugurated the new court in the presence of Collector VR Subbulaxmi, SP NU Sivaraman and M. Elavarasan, Chief District and Sessions Judge, Vellore. “The new court will end our ordeal of traveling long distances to file cases and know the status of existing petitions. More basic facilities should be created at the new court,” said V. Parasivam, a litigant.
Officials of the Public Works Department (PWD), which completed the work, said the new court will function in the renovated panchayat office premises in the village. Apart from the panchayat building, which earlier functioned as an Anganwadi centre, four unused classrooms on the premises have been converted into the administrative blocks of the new court. “The erstwhile panchayat building will function as the main court hall and judge’s chamber. Civic amenities have been provided to court staff and litigants. The entire work has been completed at a cost of ₹ 8.90 lakh,” S. Thilagarani, Assistant Engineer (AE), PWD (Pernambut), told The Hindu.
The new court has a separate recording room, bar, office, water taps, washrooms, LED lights and a wall. It also has a 50,000 liter overhead tank. CCTV cameras have also been installed for better surveillance. Ramps have been set up for people with disabilities.
Court officials said that before the new premises, the court had been functioning at the Katpadi Combined Court Complex for over two decades. Litigants, including senior citizens and women, in nearby villages travel to Katpadi to hear cases and file petitions.
On an average, more than 300 litigants from remote villages in KV Kuppam and surrounding villages visit the Katpadi court every day. More than 1,500 cases are currently pending in these courts.
Court officials said the new court not only ended extended travel time for litigants, but also allowed pending cases to be heard more quickly due to the availability of the necessary infrastructure, staff and lawyers.
Published – 14 March 2026 05:30 IST
