History

Kendrapara is popularly known as ‘Tulasi Khetra’ with Sri Sri Sidha Baladev Jew as its presiding deity located alongside the coast of the Bay of Bengal at a distance of 85 Kms. from the State Capital, Bhubaneswar blessed with unique natural heritage at Bhitara Kanika with wild life sanctuary, Gahirmatha, the largest natural breeding place of Olive ridley sea turtles’ in the world and the historical monuments of False Point, Light House, Hukitola.

The Judgeship of Cuttack was created in the year 1912 and much prior to it in the year 1831 British rulers had established five Munsif Courts in Orissa out of which one was established at Kendrapara. There was no separation of criminal jurisdiction and the revenue officers were empowered to exercise such jurisdiction. When India got independence in the year 1947, one Munsif Court and one Sub-Divisional Magistrate(S.D.M.) court were functioning at Kendrapara. After independence the first Appellate forum in Civil side that is the court of Subordinate Judge was established on 20.01.1966. Before separation of Judiciary from executive one court Judicial Magistrate was established on 10.12.1969. After separation the Court of Sub-divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) Court was established. In the year 1984 one court of Addl. Civil Judge(Jr.Divn.)-cum-J.M.F.C. was established at Kendrapara. Addl.District Judge, Kendrapara and Chief Judicial Magistrate Kendrapara were established in the year, 1990 and 1993 respectively. The Court of Judicial Magistrate First Class was established at Pattamundai in the year, 2000. The Court Judicial Magistrate, First Class was established at Aul in the year, 2011. The Gram Nyayalaya at Rajnagar was opened in the year, 2011. Finally the District & Sessions Court of Kendrapara was separated from Cuttack and established on 26.06.2012. At present the sanction strength of Courts in the judgeship of Kendrapara is 14 including newly created Family Court.

The District Court was inaugurated by the then Hon’ble Chief Justice of High Court of Odisha, V.Gopala Gouda along with Hon’ble Sri Justice B.P.Das and Hon’ble Sri Justice L.K.Mohapatra in the presence of Hon’ble District Judge Cuttack Sj.Satrughana Pujahari and the First Hon’ble District Judge Sj.Radhakrishna Pattanaik. After opening of the District Judge Court, the post of Registrar, Civil Courts was created on 24.08.2012 and Sri Sushanta Kumar Patel became the first Registrar of the District Judge Court. For the trial of offence against women the Govt. of Odisha opened 30 numbers of Special Track courts. In our district on 06.02.2013 Special Track Court was established which was inaugurated by Sri Bijoy Ketan Mohanty, Hon’ble District Judge, Kendrapara. The Registrar, Civil Courts became the first Presiding Judge of the Court.

After enactment of Legal Services Authority Act,1987, Permanent & Continuous Lok Adalat was established in the District in the year, 2001 and the Civil Judge(S.D)-cum-Secretary, D.L.S.A. became the Judge, Permanent & Continuous Lok Adalat. Soon after establishment of Office of the Registrar of Civil Courts on 24.8.2012 the power of Secretary, D.L.S.A.-cum-Judge, Permanent & Continuous Lok Adalat was vested to him. On 16.04.2013 separate office of the Secretary, was established and Sri Laxminarayan Raychaudhury joined as 1st Secretary of District Legal Services Authority. On 15.07.2013 the court of Judge, Family court, Kendrapara was inaugurated by the Hon’ble District & Sessions Judge Sri Bijoy Ketan Mohanty in the presence of Hon’ble Judge, Family Court Sri Bhaskar Chandra Sahoo who joined as 1st Judge of the Family Court, Kendrapara.