SHILLONG: Leader of the Opposition in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), Titostarwell Chyne, stated that the Executive Committee led by the Voice of the People Party (VPP) has faced the highest number of lawsuits filed against it in the Meghalaya High Court.
Chyne made these observations during the Question Hour on the opening day of the council’s summer session.
The issue came to light when NPP Member of District Council (MDC) from the Nongshken constituency, Grace Mary Kharpuri, raised a question regarding the pending court cases involving the council under litigation in the Meghalaya High Court.
Responding to the query, Executive Member (EM) in charge of Legal Affairs, Deity H. Majaw, informed the House that there are currently 85 cases pending before the High Court.
Breaking down the timeline of these pending litigations, the EM stated that 6 cases date back to 2022, 1 to 2023, 4 to 2024, 58 to 2025, and 16 cases have been filed so far in 2026.
The legal disputes primarily involve matters related to service conditions, trade regulations, and administrative disputes concerning various Elakas (traditional administrative units).
The disclosure prompted the Leader of the Opposition to point out that the incumbent Executive Committee has accumulated the highest volume of legal challenges. Chyne directly questioned how many of these cases the current executive body has actually won.
He noted that the surge in new cases occurred predominantly in 2025, meaning that between 2025 and 2026 under the VPP-led leadership, a staggering 85 cases emerged. Chyne characterized the current term as exceptionally plagued by litigation and pressed for specific details regarding the council’s legal victories during this two-year period.
In her reply, Majaw stated that when dealing with matters in the High Court, it is inappropriate to categorize outcomes simply in terms of winning or losing, as a court of law is not a battlefield to determine definitive victors and losers.
She explained that while numerous cases have already been disposed of, she could not provide an immediate breakdown of those specific outcomes on the spot and possessed only the total case numbers for presentation.
Providing further details on the council’s legal performance, Majaw informed the House that 30 cases were successfully disposed of in the year 2023.
Additionally, the EM apprised the chamber of the council’s legal infrastructure, noting that the District Council’s legal department currently employs one Special Counsel, three Standing Counsels, one Legal Assistant, and one dedicated lawyer to manage and represent the council in its various ongoing litigations.
