Ggm: Over 300k cases pending in dist courts; many unsolved

Gurugram's district courts face a backlog of over 300,000 cases, with many unresolved for over a decade, impacting efficiency and causing stress for appellants.

The district courts in Gurugram are facing a significant backlog, with over 3 lakh cases pending, including more than 2,000 that have remained unresolved for over a decade, according to official data.

In March, courts disposed of 11,564 cases, including 10,500 criminal and 1,010 civil cases, indicating ongoing efforts to address the pendency. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Figures from the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) assessed by HT on Thursday show that a total of 309,810 cases are pending, comprising 265,414 criminal and 44,396 civil matters. Nearly 69% of these have been awaiting judgement for over a year, while 45% (139,370 cases) are categorised as “excessively dated”, having faced prolonged adjournments often exceeding three months.

In March, courts disposed of 11,564 cases, including 10,500 criminal and 1,010 civil cases, indicating ongoing efforts to address the pendency.

Despite multiple attempts, HT could not reach to the district attorney for a comment on the matter.

Legal experts attribute the delays to structural constraints.advocate Amarjeet Yadav, former president of the Gurugram Bar Association, said, “The new court complex, under construction for a decade, has only 55 rooms despite the district having around 70 judges. As a result, many judges operate from temporary spaces, affecting efficiency and morale.”

Senior public prosecutor JS Jangra highlighted the need for both infrastructure and systemic reforms. He said improved coordination between police and judiciary is essential, alleging that criminal charges are sometimes filed in disputes of a civil nature, adding to the burden. “Granting prosecutors greater authority to recommend case disposal at an early stage could help ease the load,” he said.

“The Supreme Court has multiple times asked lower courts to prioritise cases pending for more than five years and expedite their hearing with early dates,” said Gurugram district court bar association president Rahul Sagwan. He added that though the new court complex is expected to provide better infrastructure to judges, it only has 55 courtrooms, whereas the judge strength in the district is 70.

According to Yadav, pending cases in the courts also put a lot of pressure on the appellants, who have to wait for years and come to court time and again for their hearings. This often leaves the people financially, physically, and mentally.

To be sure, on average, a judge in Gurugram handles around 100 cases daily, reflecting the pressure on the system. Over 53,000 cases have remained pending for five to 10 years, according to NJDG data.