Highest after Bengal, pending criminal cases in Delhi jump by 2.66 lakh in a year

According to the data, there are 4,53,31,498 pending cases, including 3,43,91,311 criminal cases and 1,09,40,187 civil cases, across lower courts in the country. Overall, there was a rise of 6.18 lakh pending criminal cases across all lower courts in all states and Union Territories in the country.

In West Bengal, lower courts saw a rise of over 2.7 lakh pending criminal cases, the data shows.

12,48,370 pending criminal cases in Delhi’s lower courts

The data shows there were 9.82 lakh pending criminal cases in Delhi’s lower courts in November 2023, which have risen to 12.48 lakh by November this year. Until November 15, there were 14,68,750 pending cases, including 12,48,370 criminal cases, and 2,20,380 civil cases, in Delhi’s lower courts.

The rise in the pendency of criminal cases in district courts is coupled with a staggering vacancy of judicial officers across the lower courts, according to another reply given in Rajya Sabha. There were 5,254 vacancies of judicial officers (or judges) in all the lower courts, and these courts in Delhi had a vacancy of 94 judges.

According to the National Judicial Data grid, there are 19,195 judges across lower courts in all states and UTs. In Delhi’s lower courts, there are 679 judges.