Agartala: Jan 10: As of October 31st of the previous year, Tripura’s courts were burdened with 50,268 pending cases, including 13,108 civil and 37,160 criminal cases. Among these, 809 civil and 136 criminal cases were pending in the High Court, while the majority, 12,299 civil and 37,024 criminal cases, were pending in lower courts. Alarmingly, 429 rape cases were also awaiting disposal, with 28 in the High Court and 401 in lower courts.
Over the past three years, only 149 rape cases were decided, with 14 in the High Court and 135 in lower courts. The annual breakdown showed 105 cases were resolved in 2021, 186 in 2022, and 226 in 2023. Despite these efforts, the rate of case resolution remains slow, contributing to the growing backlog.
Regarding convictions, 25 accused individuals were found guilty in these cases, 6 in the High Court and 19 in the lower courts. Convictions were distributed as follows: 20 in 2021, 27 in 2022, and 53 in 2023. These figures highlight ongoing challenges in the judicial process, particularly in rape cases, which continue to accumulate in the system.
This backlog underscores the need for reforms and improvements in the judicial system to ensure timely justice and reduce the delay in addressing sensitive cases like rape. Despite some convictions, the high number of pending cases remains a critical issue for Tripura’s legal system.
