Explainer: Why are nearly 50,000 cases pending in Sirsa courts

Sirsa district is facing a growing judicial backlog, with 49,769 civil and criminal cases pending across its courts as of September 2025. This is a noticeable rise from 47,412 cases reported just six months earlier, according to the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG). The courts under the Sessions Division, including Sirsa, Dabwali, Ellenabad, and Rania are witnessing a steady year-on-year increase in pending litigation. Despite this, no major expansion in judicial manpower or procedural changes has taken place, leading to further strain on existing judicial resources.

What does the latest backlog data reveal?

As of September, the District & Sessions Court, Sirsa, has 14,092 pending cases. Subordinate courts in the district have an additional 35,677 cases. Criminal cases form the majority, with 35,064 pending matters, while 14,705 cases are civil. The backlog has been rising steadily: in March, the total pendency stood at 47,412, and in April 2024, it was 41,762. This means the district saw an increase of over 8,000 cases in less than 18 months.

Which courts have the highest number of pending cases?

Among the session courts, Additional District & Sessions Judge (AD&SJ) Seema Singhal has the highest individual pendency with 3,627 criminal cases. AD&SJ Rajan Walia has to manage 2,100 total cases, including 1,473 civil. In the family court, Additional Principal Judge Sumit Garg has 2,408 cases, while Principal Judge Krishan Kant has 1,940. In the subordinate courts, Sirsa city has the highest number of pending cases at 21,511. Civil Judge (Junior Division) Richu is managing 6,910 cases, the highest individual caseload at that level. Chief Judicial Magistrate Santosh Bagotia follows with 3,683 cases. Dabwali and Ellenabad courts have 7,986 and 5,938 pending cases, respectively, while the Gram Nyayalaya in Rania has 242.

How is the workload distributed between criminal and civil matters?

Out of the total 49,769 pending cases in the district, 35,064 are criminal and 14,705 are civil. Criminal matters therefore account for about 70 per cent of the overall caseload. This distribution affects how courts allocate their time and resources, as criminal cases typically involve longer procedures and stricter timelines.

How many judicial officers are currently working in the district?

According to official data, over 20 judicial officers are currently posted across the district’s various courts. These include judges at the district, sessions, family and subordinate levels. Despite this number, the caseload per judge remains high. Some judicial officers are handling individual pendency figures in the thousands, pointing to the scale of the workload each court is managing.

What do legal experts suggest to reduce the growing backlog?

A senior law professor and legal expert says that while the rising pendency is a serious concern, it can be addressed through coordinated efforts. He suggests that Bar Associations should avoid frequent strikes and reserve “No Work Days” for genuine reasons only. Lawyers should also take initiative to resolve cases that can be settled through compromise, rather than allowing them to remain pending. Regular dialogue between the Bar and the Bench every few month can improve coordination and speed up case disposal, he added. The expert also pointed out that digitisation was still lacking in Sirsa courts. Given the scale of pendency, a pilot project to reduce paperwork and shift toward digital processes could save time, paper and costs. Additionally, small, fine-related cases should be prioritised for quicker resolution, and the number of judges and support staff should be increased to match the rising population and case load.