Over three decades of unending litigation; more than two dozen deaths; millions spent; nearly 600 adjournments and more than 20 judges changed. But the over 30-year-old case, Arjan Singh versus Chand Kishore, remains pending in the UT District Courts.

Presently pursued by the third generation of the litigants, the case, arguably the UT District Court’s oldest pending case, has already reached the apex court once and Punjab and Haryana High Court a few times.

Not that the case has not been decided by the subordinate judiciary, it has twice been decided only to be challenged in the higher court, getting stay over lower court orders, then getting the stay vacated and continuing with the change of legal heirs.

More than two dozen litigants, including the first and second generation litigants, have died awaiting disposal of the case.

The dispute pertains to a 666.66 sq yard coal depot located in Sector 20-D. The property was jointly purchased by five friends — Om Parkash, Arjan Singh, Gurdial Singh, Kabul Singh and Asa Singh— in 1961.

After a few years, a dispute arose among them and with each having one-fifth share in the depot, they filed an application in the court claiming their share in 1978.

Since Om Parkash had passed away, his son, Chand Kishore was made a party. The property at present is in the possession of Chand Kishore and his sons.

Interestingly, the dispute which started off with five claimants of the depot, has nearly 40 claimants now.

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