SRINAGAR: More than four lakh cases are pending across courts in Jammu and Kashmir, according to the Centre, with the bulk of the backlog lying in district and subordinate courts.
In a written reply to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha, the Ministry of Law and Justice said that, as of July 16, 2026, the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir had 44,595 pending cases, including 33,950 cases pending for more than one year, 13,514 for over five years, 6,133 for more than 10 years, 395 for over 20 years, and four cases pending for more than 30 years.
The data further showed that district and subordinate courts in Jammu and Kashmir have 3,64,800 pending cases. Of these, 2,58,880 cases have remained pending for over a year, 84,126 for more than five years, 20,765 for over 10 years, 654 for more than 20 years, and 45 for over 30 years.
Responding to the question, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal said the disposal of cases falls within the exclusive domain of the judiciary. He said pendency is influenced by several factors, including the complexity of cases, the nature of evidence, and cooperation among stakeholders such as the Bar, investigating agencies, witnesses and litigants.
The minister said the Centre has undertaken several measures to facilitate faster disposal of cases, including the Phase-III eCourts Project with an outlay of Rs 7,210 crore, operationalisation of 775 Fast Track Special Courts for rape and POCSO cases, constitution of arrears committees in all High Courts and district courts, enactment of new criminal laws and amendments to procedural laws, and promotion of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms such as Lok Adalats.
