41-Year Legal Battle Ends in Justice for Ganga Devi

A Long Wait for Justice

The workings of the Indian legal system are well-known, where decisions in court are not made lightly. Cases linger for years, often leading to tragic outcomes for those seeking justice. One such case involved a woman who spent 41 years navigating the legal maze without receiving the justice she sought. Recently, however, the court finally acknowledged the discrepancies in her case and granted her the justice she deserved.

In 1975, Ganga Devi, then 37, received a notice from a district judge regarding a property attachment. She filed a petition against this notice in civil court. The hearing took place in 1977, but her troubles were far from over.

Upon filing her case, Ganga was instructed to pay a court fee of 312 rupees, which she did. Unfortunately, she did not receive the receipt for this payment as it was misplaced. Despite having paid the fee, the court demanded it again due to the missing receipt.

In 1975, 312 rupees was a significant amount. Although Ganga had paid the fee, the loss of the receipt led to her refusal to pay again. The case was finally resolved on August 31, 2018, in her favor, with the court concluding that an administrative error had caused the receipt to go missing. However, Ganga's faith in the legal system was likely shattered. Her case had been passed through the hands of 11 judges over the years without reaching a resolution.

Upon reviewing the case, the civil judge in Mirzapur discovered that Ganga had indeed paid the fee, but an administrative error had resulted in the loss of the receipt. Unfortunately, no relatives of Ganga were present in court to hear the verdict. The receipt was later sent to her family via speed post. After 41 years and 11 judges, Ganga Devi finally found relief.