Pendency reaches 1,80,000 cases in JK courts

With the state authorities promising the deliverance of justice at peoples door steps, the figures reveal that the masses here since years are being moving from pillar to pots in search of justice as the same is pending in the courts from the years.

There are more than 1, 80,000 cases of criminal and civil nature pending at various courts of law across Jammu and Kashmir with officially no fast track court in function as the government shelved High Court’s proposal over the establishment of fast track courts. The details available informed that in the high court of Jammu and Kashmir around 5244 criminal cases are pending with no final verdict ordered so far. Also there are around 87 thousand civil cases pending in the high court here.

In the subordinate court, mostly known as the lower court, around one lakh criminal cases are pending. The details provided by the authorities in the month of March this year stated that around 1067740 cases of criminal nature are pending in the lower court. Also the details maintained that 76680 civil cases are pending- waiting for the final j udgment. T he t otal number of the cases both criminal and civil pending before the high court here are 93038 and in the lower court 183420 cases have not been given the final judgment.

The government when contacted said that there are presently no fast track court in the state except for the five existing regular courts of additional district and sessions which were earmarked as fast track court by the high court here. The courts were given the authority so that the cases against the women could be heard. Details informed that the government here in the past has received as proposal by the high court regarding the creation of eight fast track courts of the rank of district and sessions judge and 10 fast track courts of the rank of civil judge senior division. No further step has been taken by the state government over the proposal made by the high court in the past.

The state authorities maintained that the government is committed to provide justice to the masses at door steps and that by virtue of Jammu and Kashmir Delhi Adalat act, 2013, it is ‘contemplating’ to create 22 Delhi adalats in the state with at least one in a district that too at a block level. The details also informed that the government here has taken up the issue with the high court here for identifying the places where Delhi adalats will be established. The Chief Justice has also constituted a committee of two judges to nominate the blocks for the same.

However, the state government has no proposal under consideration wherein the benches of high court will be available at remote places other than the capital cities of the state in view of the difficult topography at south, north and Ladakh areas in Kashmir division and Chenab valley, Poonch, Rajouri and Kathua in Jammu.