11.73 lakh court cases pending for over 20 years in India, UP tops list

Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal on Thursday said that there are over 11.73 lakh court cases pending for more than 20 years in various courts in the country.

2 min readUpdated: Jul 24, 2026 01:09 PM IST

Court cases pending in India for over 20 years have crossed 11.73 lakh, with Uttar Pradesh reporting the highest backlog. (Image generated using AI)

Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal on Thursday said that there are over 11.73 lakh court cases pending for more than 20 years in various courts in the country. In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, Meghwal, quoting data available on the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) as of July 16, 2026, said 11,73,509 cases have been pending for over 20 years in the Supreme Court, 25 High Courts, District and Subordinate Courts across the country.

Allahabad High Court tops 20-year pendency list with 1.61 lakh cases

According to the statement, a total of 4,52,152 cases have been pending for more than 20 years in the Supreme Court and High Courts across India. The Allahabad High Court has the highest number of cases pending for more than 20 years, with 1,61,598 cases.

It is followed by the Madras High Court (76,298), Bombay High Court (55,255), Calcutta High Court (34,551), Rajasthan High Court (33,296), Punjab and Haryana High Court (25,247), and Madhya Pradesh High Court (24,938).

The High Courts of Meghalaya, Tripura, and Sikkim have no cases pending for more than 20 years.

Among the remaining High Courts, the lowest number of such long-pending cases is in the Manipur High Court (5 cases), followed by the Gauhati High Court (81 cases), Himachal Pradesh High Court (90 cases) and Chhattisgarh High Court (94 cases).

Supreme Court and High Courts: Cases pending for 1, 5, 10, 20 and 30 years

Pending Cases in Supreme Court & High Courts, as on 16.07.2026

65,68,560

Total pending cases, Supreme Court + all High Courts

12,28,353

Highest pendency: Allahabad High Court

96,024

Pending in Supreme Court of India

Age-wise Break-up of Pending Cases (All High Courts)

Exclusive age bands computed from cumulative "more than X years" figures; total = 64,72,536

64.7LHC cases

>30 yrs: 80,660

20-30 yrs: 3,71,492

10-20 yrs: 11,62,505

5-10 yrs: 13,60,504

1-5 yrs: 22,68,167

<1 yr: 12,29,208

Total Pending Cases: Supreme Court & All High Courts, Ranked

Bars scaled on a log axis (wide range: 318 to 12.28 lakh) · Highest & Supreme Court highlighted

Allahabad HC

12,28,353

Rajasthan HC

6,96,348

Bombay HC

6,57,813

Madras HC

5,67,814

Madhya Pradesh HC

4,90,363

Punjab & Haryana HC

4,23,169

Karnataka HC

3,37,159

Andhra Pradesh HC

2,53,617

Kerala HC

2,46,302

Telangana HC

2,42,625

Patna HC

2,23,920

Calcutta HC

2,00,173

Gujarat HC

1,75,436

Orissa HC

1,69,320

Delhi HC

1,25,478

Himachal Pradesh HC

1,04,770

Supreme Court

96,024

Chhattisgarh HC

74,109

Jharkhand HC

72,751

Gauhati HC

65,001

Uttarakhand HC

63,263

Jammu & Kashmir HC

44,595

Manipur HC

6,230

Meghalaya HC

1,996

Tripura HC

1,613

Sikkim HC

318

Full State-wise Data (Pending Cases by Age)

Court	>30 yrs	>20 yrs	>10 yrs	>5 yrs	>1 yr	Total
Supreme Court of India	26	558	10,094	24,611	49,248	96,024
Allahabad HC	53,787	1,61,598	4,88,359	7,30,562	10,76,285	12,28,353
Bombay HC	3,901	55,255	1,85,261	3,19,478	5,30,094	6,57,813
Calcutta HC	11,417	34,551	75,268	1,09,456	1,72,644	2,00,173
Gauhati HC	0	81	4,802	23,712	50,314	65,001
Telangana HC	63	2,610	36,319	1,02,105	1,96,407	2,42,625
Chhattisgarh HC	0	94	6,149	23,454	55,270	74,109
Rajasthan HC	2,111	33,296	1,31,370	2,96,248	5,51,038	6,96,348
Andhra Pradesh HC	1,650	7,331	56,067	1,16,340	2,12,266	2,53,617
Delhi HC	126	2,129	20,515	42,324	93,070	1,25,478
Gujarat HC	19	2,143	25,287	70,017	1,39,725	1,75,436
Himachal Pradesh HC	3	90	8,521	40,777	81,010	1,04,770
Jammu & Kashmir HC	4	395	6,133	13,514	33,950	44,595
Jharkhand HC	59	3,855	14,952	29,117	55,241	72,751
Karnataka HC	44	569	22,221	78,333	2,49,161	3,37,159
Kerala HC	74	2,004	41,511	1,06,117	2,03,002	2,46,302
Madhya Pradesh HC	92	24,938	1,54,860	2,54,713	4,14,465	4,90,363
Manipur HC	0	5	133	1,111	4,426	6,230
Meghalaya HC	0	0	7	99	821	1,996
Punjab & Haryana HC	303	25,247	1,32,924	2,28,758	3,51,759	4,23,169
Sikkim HC	0	0	4	16	153	318
Tripura HC	0	0	1	13	533	1,613
Uttarakhand HC	0	869	6,291	23,431	50,824	63,263
Madras HC	3,118	76,298	1,19,699	2,05,815	4,17,639	5,67,814
Orissa HC	376	7,035	38,866	69,684	1,31,359	1,69,320
Patna HC	3,513	11,759	39,137	89,967	1,71,872	2,23,920
Total (All High Courts)	80,660	4,52,152	16,14,657	29,75,161	52,43,328	64,72,536

"More than X years" figures are cumulative (e.g. cases pending >5 years also fall within >1 year). Allahabad HC alone accounts for nearly 19% of all pending High Court cases nationally.

Source: Rajya Sabha (National Judicial Data Grid)

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Uttar Pradesh tops district court backlog with 3.41 lakh cases pending for over 20 years

According to the written reply in the Rajya Sabha, 7,21,357 cases have been pending for more than 20 years in District and Subordinate Courts across the country.

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Among the states, Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of such cases with 3,41,397 cases. It is followed by Bihar (1,22,947), West Bengal (1,15,192), Maharashtra (69,626), Odisha (45,333), and Gujarat (5,987).

The Union Territory of Ladakh has no cases pending for more than 20 years.

Among the remaining States and UTs, the lowest number of such long-pending cases is in Sikkim (1 case), Mizoram (2 cases), Lakshadweep (2 cases), Nagaland (9 cases), Chandigarh (13 cases), The Dadra And Nagar Haveli And Daman And Diu (30 cases), Himachal Pradesh (50 cases).

District courts and Subordinate Courts: Cases pending for 1, 5, 10, 20 and 30 years

Pending Cases in District & Subordinate Courts, as on 16.07.2026

4,98,45,538

Total pending cases, all States/UTs

1,19,46,397

Highest pendency: Uttar Pradesh

~24%

UP's share of all pending district court cases

Age-wise Break-up of Pending Cases (Nationwide)

Exclusive age bands computed from cumulative "more than X years" figures; total = 4,98,45,538

4.98 CrPending cases

>30 yrs: 81,275

20-30 yrs: 6,40,082

10-20 yrs: 47,15,675

5-10 yrs: 94,08,816

1-5 yrs: 2,26,49,710

<1 yr: 1,23,49,980

Total Pending Cases by State/UT, Ranked

Bars scaled on a log axis (wide range: 601 to 1.19 crore)

Uttar Pradesh

1,19,46,397

Maharashtra

61,80,192

West Bengal

41,04,641

Bihar

37,62,813

Rajasthan

27,45,299

Karnataka

23,21,907

Madhya Pradesh

21,34,825

Odisha

18,68,323

Kerala

18,12,563

Tamil Nadu

17,81,234

Delhi

17,35,136

Gujarat

16,00,496

Haryana

15,27,352

Punjab

10,17,925

Telangana

10,11,003

Andhra Pradesh

9,44,280

Himachal Pradesh

6,33,979

Assam

6,04,236

Jharkhand

5,84,838

Chhattisgarh

4,91,080

Jammu & Kashmir

3,64,800

Uttarakhand

3,09,849

Chandigarh

1,00,263

Tripura

75,020

Goa

63,560

Puducherry

36,841

Meghalaya

19,159

Arunachal Pradesh

16,798

Manipur

14,857

Mizoram

9,798

Andaman & Nicobar

8,778

DNH & DD

8,575

Nagaland

4,101

Sikkim

2,265

Ladakh

1,754

Lakshadweep

601

Full State/UT-wise Data (Pending Cases by Age)

State/UT	>30 yrs	>20 yrs	>10 yrs	>5 yrs	>1 yr	Total
Andaman and Nicobar	6	110	1,575	3,885	7,388	8,778
Andhra Pradesh	55	774	18,483	1,58,015	6,90,066	9,44,280
Arunachal Pradesh	30	307	1,551	4,106	11,844	16,798
Assam	28	261	10,950	67,825	4,40,194	6,04,236
Bihar	6,946	1,22,947	8,75,694	20,84,325	32,62,587	37,62,813
Chandigarh	2	13	452	6,427	62,032	1,00,263
Chhattisgarh	35	119	1,323	42,555	3,14,447	4,91,080
Delhi	102	1,032	43,538	2,62,519	11,42,749	17,35,136
Goa	272	796	4,527	16,666	44,768	63,560
Gujarat	136	5,987	56,620	2,44,000	10,20,264	16,00,496
Haryana	16	85	5,483	2,22,878	11,11,724	15,27,352
Himachal Pradesh	4	46	10,516	80,486	3,17,396	6,33,979
Jammu and Kashmir	45	654	20,765	84,126	2,58,880	3,64,800
Jharkhand	79	1,012	44,399	1,59,284	4,30,321	5,84,838
Karnataka	206	3,848	99,539	4,30,706	15,72,808	23,21,907
Kerala	222	1,232	48,078	3,43,815	12,84,608	18,12,563
Ladakh	0	0	11	112	937	1,754
Lakshadweep	0	2	26	99	418	601
Madhya Pradesh	144	1,047	35,545	3,82,500	15,68,316	21,34,825
Maharashtra	12,109	69,626	5,52,572	17,65,495	47,68,805	61,80,192
Manipur	10	38	842	3,166	9,223	14,857
Meghalaya	59	309	2,501	5,731	13,183	19,159
Mizoram	0	2	24	576	4,800	9,798
Nagaland	0	9	309	1,191	3,333	4,101
Odisha	4,441	45,333	3,07,216	7,66,177	15,60,820	18,68,323
Puducherry	1	56	2,514	7,672	23,752	36,841
Punjab	9	90	4,090	67,007	5,54,092	10,17,925
Rajasthan	341	2,827	83,567	6,93,167	20,89,199	27,45,299
Sikkim	0	1	4	36	965	2,265
Tamil Nadu	450	4,173	63,962	2,68,543	10,91,674	17,81,234
Telangana	236	1,740	20,277	1,78,176	7,63,779	10,11,003
DNH and Daman & Diu	0	30	391	1,897	6,234	8,575
Tripura	49	123	739	4,281	26,202	75,020
Uttar Pradesh	37,394	3,41,397	23,09,086	49,08,308	96,40,686	1,19,46,397
Uttarakhand	9	139	7,322	55,628	2,18,426	3,09,849
West Bengal	17,839	1,15,192	8,02,541	15,24,468	31,78,638	41,04,641
Total (All States/UTs)	81,275	7,21,357	54,37,032	1,48,45,848	3,74,95,558	4,98,45,538

"More than X years" figures are cumulative (e.g. cases pending >5 years also fall within >1 year). Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Bihar together account for nearly half of all pending district & subordinate court cases nationwide.

Source: Rajya Sabha (National Judicial Data Grid)

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Anish Mondal

Anish Mondal is a journalist with over nine years of experience covering the railways and roadways. Currently a member of the Indianexpress.com editorial team, Anish specializes in high-impact sectors. Professional Journey Anish began his career at the public broadcaster Rajya Sabha Television (now Sansad TV), where he developed a foundational understanding of legislative processes and national governance. In 2018, he transitioned to digital financial journalism at FinancialExpress.com, spending nearly six years refining his expertise in market trends and corporate reporting. Before joining The Indian Express in 2025, he served as a key contributor at ETNowNews.com. Education & Expertise Anish’s reporting is backed by a rigorous academic background in communication and the humanities: Master of Journalism and Mass Communication (MJMC) – Apeejay Stya University Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Production (PGTVRJP) – Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication Bachelor of Arts (English Honours) – University of Calcutta Areas of Coverage Connectivity: Detailed reporting on the expansion of Indian Railways and National Highway networks. ... Read More

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