Over 3.84L cases pending in U’khand courts despite 50% backlog drop in districts over 2 years

Nainital: A Right to Information (RTI) query has revealed that as of early 2025, a total of 3,84,234 cases remain pending across courts in Uttarakhand, comprising 3,16,369 criminal cases and 67,876 civil matters.
The information, disclosed by public information officer (PIO) HS Jeena of the Uttarakhand HC in response to an RTI filed by Kashipur-based activist Nadeem Uddin, highlights a 9% rise in overall pendency over the past two years. However, several district courts showed significant progress, reducing their backlogs by up to 50%.
According to the data, the HC alone had 44,512 pending cases at the start of 2023, comprising 25,635 civil and 18,877 criminal cases. By early 2025, the number surged by 24% to 55,323, including 30,301 civil and 25,022 criminal cases. In subordinate courts, pending cases increased by 7%, from 3,08,694 to 3,28,911 during the same period.
While districts like Dehradun (5%), Haridwar (21%), Nainital (2%), Pauri (52%), and Tehri (9%) showed an increase in pendency, eight districts — including Udham Singh Nagar (3%), Uttarkashi (50%), Almora (12%), Bageshwar (44%), Chamoli (32%), Champawat (14%), Pithoragarh (32%), and Rudraprayag (33%) — achieved significant reductions.
"While the overall pendency remains a concern, concerted efforts in several districts have led to remarkable improvements. The data underscores the importance of targeted judicial reforms and efficient case management at the district level," said activist Uddin.
Kartikay Hari Gupta, an advocate at the HC, said a chronic shortage of judges lies at the heart of the problem. "The sheer volume of cases — often exceeding a 100 per court each day — makes it humanly impossible to deliver timely justice. The judicial process, by its very nature, demands meticulous care and deliberation, which further slows down proceedings," he said, adding that some courtrooms have remained locked for over five years due to the lack of presiding judges.
"The situation is dire, and the need for the immediate appointment of more judges is essential for the survival of the justice delivery system," said Gupta.
Registrar general of the high court, Kahkasha Khan, emphasised that whether it is the district court, high court, or Supreme Court, reducing case pendency hinges on maintaining an adequate judge-to-case ratio. "Only by ensuring a balanced ratio of working judges can the backlog of cases be effectively addressed," she said.