Today I had to appear before the Telangana Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) Court to represent two civil matters. After a long gap of almost one and a half years, this was my first visit to any courtroom, which made the day feel even more significant.
The RERA Court is located in the Lakdi Ka Pul area. To reach there on time, I left home early at 8:00 AM and first went to the office. At the office, the initial task was to print the counters and get them signed by the respondent. Once the documents were signed, I scanned them and arranged the required sets.
For each case, I prepared three sets of the counter for filing and one complainant copy. Since there were two cases, I printed six sets for filing plus two complainant copies, ensuring that every procedural requirement was fulfilled.
After completing the documentation, I booked a Rapido ride around 10:00 AM and headed toward the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) Building, where the RERA Court functions.
The building has a simple but structured arrangement:
- Ground Floor – Document Inward Section
- Second Floor – RERA Courtrooms
Upon reaching the second floor, the first thing I checked was the cause list. Our matters were listed as Case No. 44 and 45, clubbed together as a batch, and the total cause list had 53 matters across 10 batches. Our batch was the second last, so it meant a long wait.
As the bench began calling out the cases one by one, we waited patiently for our turn. When our batch was finally called, we approached the bench. In both matters, we were appearing as respondents, and this was our first appearance in these cases.
I informed the bench that we were present to file the counter affidavit on behalf of the respondent. Following the procedure, we handed over one copy of the counter to the complainant and requested them to acknowledge receipt on another copy.
At this point, one of the complainants tried to act a little over-smart. After receiving the copy, he said that we should explain the contents of the counter right there so that both the complainants and the judges could understand our defence against the allegations raised in the complaint.
However, before the discussion could escalate, the presiding judge intervened and calmly clarified the procedure. The judge explained that since the complainants had filed the RERA complaint, the respondents had now filed their counter affidavit duly supported by an affidavit. The proper course for the complainants was to read the counter carefully and file a rejoinder addressing the points raised in the counter.
The bench then fixed the next date of hearing as 16 April, directing the complainants to file their rejoinder by then. After this explanation, the complainants finally understood the process.
Since one member of the bench was absent that day, the court was functioning with two judges instead of the full bench. Perhaps sensing some hesitation from the complainants, the judges directed them to sign the acknowledgment copy outside the courtroom.
This signature was important because without proof of service, the counter could not be formally placed on record. Once we stepped outside, the complainants signed the copy with a note confirming that they had received the counter filed that day.
However, a small procedural problem arose. Because we had stepped out to obtain the signature, we could not immediately submit the remaining sets to the bench clerk for filing in the case record.
To resolve this, we explained the situation to the court bell boy, who suggested that we could submit the documents to the ground floor document inward section. When we went there, the staff asked for an additional copy of each case to return as an inward acknowledgment.
Unfortunately, we did not have extra copies with us. Considering this, we decided it would be better to wait and submit the documents directly to the bench clerk after the hearings concluded. Interestingly, one of our classmates who was undergoing training as a bench clerk also advised us to do the same.
So we went back upstairs and waited. By then, the 51st case out of 53 was being heard. Within about 10 minutes, the final matters were completed and the judges rose from the bench.
At that moment, we approached the bench clerk and successfully submitted the counter affidavits for both cases to be placed on record. Before leaving, we also reconfirmed the next hearing date — 16 April.
And that was how the day unfolded in the RERA Court.
Lesson learned
Always carry one or two sets of the documnets extra.
Thanks for stopping by.
See you in the next read!
...Anu
Spill. Stir. Stay tuned As Not all drama belongs in court.
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