Dilip Patil is a regular at a Mumbai court. He has been fighting for 13 years

Dilip Patil (50), travels from Kalyan to Bhoiwada magistrate court, often, to attend the case hearing which he has filed in the year 2005. He has filed a case against his former neighbors, in Parel area, under various sections of the India Penal Code. Till today, only two witnesses have been examined by the magistrate court, and the case seems to linger for a long time to come.

The allegation leveled by him against three accused is that when they were his neighbors they destroyed his plants which were kept outside his room in a chawl, on N M Joshi marg. Advocate Rajendra Javanjal, who then would charge Rs 50 to him per hearing, has increased his fees over the years, feels case has been handled by many magistrates for it to be delayed.

"The magistrate announces a long gap till the nex hearing. It has happened that the magistrate was transferred or elevated which delayed our case hearing and examination of witnesses, said Javanjal. The first witness was examined in 2012, who was the complainant Patil himself. Second witness his brother was examined after a year. "There are legal issues which have been raised over time before different courts, but it should not have taken so long for our complaint to be decided," Javanjal said. Patil and Javanjal now wait for the next date of hearing.