Siliguri, Nov. 11: Cases are piling up and litigants are having a hard time since August 20, when the civil judge, senior division (assistant district and sessions judge), Siliguri court, was transferred.

The post has, ever since, remained vacant.

“We are doing without a civil judge, senior division, for quite some time now. It is a very important post and comes with some special powers. With no one occupying the post, things are getting very difficult for litigants,” said Ashok Basu, president of Siliguri Bar Association.

Around 30-40 cases listed to be heard at the court of the civil judge, senior division, are added to the pending cases every day.

“Proceedings are getting delayed and cases adjourned at the cost of the litigants. Since cases under police file cannot be adjourned, they are being heard in the presence of a judicial officer acting as the civil judge, senior division. Cases under general file, however, are largely unattended,” said Binoy Das, another senior lawyer.

Lawyers, however, believe that without the “right” person occupying the post, no substitute would be equipped to handle the cases with the finesse of the judge.Senior lawyer and bar council member Arun Sarkar demanded that the authorities take necessary steps to ensure that the post is filled up immediately.

“That all money suits exceeding Rs 30,000 are looked after by this court is a pointer to the fact that it is an important post, without which court proceedings are badly hit. It is our earnest plea with the high court to take immediate steps so that the post is filled up and normalcy restored in court proceedings,” Sarkar said.

“We have received an order from the high court for filling up the post of a civil judge, senior division, at Siliguri court and hope that we will be able to fill up the post very soon,” said T.K. Giri, district and sessions judge, Darjeeling.

He, however, could not specify when the post would be filled, neither could he explain why the process of filling the vacancy took such a long time.