‘Over 3.7mn cases pending in courts for over 10 years’

NEW DELHI: Over 3.7 million, or around 10% of the 37.7 million cases before high courts, district and taluka courts across India, have remained pending for over a decade, according to National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG), which monitors the performance of courts nationally. They include 2.8 million cases in district and taluka courts and 920,000 before high courts. Over 660,000 cases have remained pending for over 20 years and 131,000 for more than 3 decades. The Supreme Court on June 15 noted with anguish the pendency of cases, particularly criminal appeals, in high courts as it was hearing a murder convict’s bail plea while his appeal against his conviction is pending before the Allahabad high court. It called “chronic pendency of criminal appeals” a challenge to the judicial system. The Supreme Court noted the right to speedy trial also involves that to speedy disposal of criminal appeals. The Supreme Court asked Allahabad, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Patna, Orissa, Rajasthan, Bombay high courts to submit a detailed plan of action for deciding the pending criminal appeals.

As many as 8.5% of the total of 32.9 million cases pending in district and taluka courts across India, or 2.8 million, have remained so for over 10 years, according to NJDG, which is updated daily and provides consolidated figures of pending cases. Over 500,000, or 1.5% of cases pending at the district and taluka level, are over two-decade-old while 85,141 cases have remained undecided for over three decades.

District courts fare better than high courts in terms of pending cases. As many as over 4.7 million cases are pending before 25 high courts across the country. Out of them, over 920,000 cases, or 19.26%, have been pending for over 10 years and 158,000 (3.3%) for more than 20 years and 46,754 for three decades or more.

Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, accounts for 40% of the 2.8 million cases pending for over 10 years at district and taluka courts and for 43% of the 500,000 awaiting completion for over 20 years. As many as 40% or 34,000 out of 85,141 cases pending nationally for over 30 years are in Uttar Pradesh. “The data reflects the correlation between judicial vacancies and pendency. Importantly, judicial vacancies is a very region centric factor in that it varies vastly from state to state. UP for instance is one of states where judicial vacancies have been on the higher side and it affects the pendency”, said senior resident fellow at Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, Ameen Jauhar

Chennai:guidelines laid down for police on handling arrests or accused persons include not even using hurtful language against them, while beating them up was “unlawful,” City Police Commissioner AK Viswanathan said on Sunday.

His comments, made in response to queries here on the standard procedure in this connection, come in the backdrop of a national furore over the death of a father-son duo in a hospital in Tuticorin recently after they were allegedly thrashed while in police custody earlier.

Viswanathan, speaking to reporters here, said there are a number of guidelines, besides Supreme Court directions, vis-avis arrests.

“Assault and torture (of the arrested) should not be done. As far as the Greater Chennai Police or the state police is concerned, we have reiterated that even language that could hurt someone should not be used,” he said.

“Beating up is wrong, unlawful. We have been insisting this to all officials, personnel and police stations,” he added.

P Jayaraj and his son Fennix, arrested for ‘violating’ lockdown norms over business hours of their cellphone shop, died at a hospital in Kovilpatti on June 23, with the relatives alleging that they were severely thrashed at the Sathankulam police station by police personnel earlier.

The incident had triggered a furore in the state, leading to the suspension of four policemen, including two sub-inspectors.

Civil society members and activists, political parties and celebrities have demanded justice for the death of the fatherson duo.

Makkal Needhi Maiam founder-president Kamal Haasan also sought justice for the victims.

In a statement, he said while financial assistance announced by the government was needed, however, the government should not stop with it. Meanwhile, a constable attached with the city police has been suspended pending enquiry following a social media post in connection with the Sathankulam incident.