Alarming: 8.8 lakh execution petitions pending across India; SC asks HCs to ensure speedy disposal

Terming the huge pendency of over 8.82 lakh execution petitions for enforcement of court decrees in district courts across India as “alarming”, the Supreme Court has asked high courts to ensure effective follow-up with their district judiciary for speedy disposal of such matters.

“The statistics which we have received are highly disappointing. The figures of the pendency of the execution petitions across the country are alarming. As of date, 8,82,578 execution petitions are pending across the country,” a Bench led by Justice JB Pardiwala lamented on October 16.

We grant further six months to all the high courts to follow up with their respective District judiciary as regards the disposal of the execution petitions,” the Bench said, posting the matter for further hearing on April 10, 2026.

According to reports submitted by high courts to the top court, high courts of Bombay (3.41 lakh), Madras (86,148), Kerala (82,997), Andhra Pradesh (68,137) and Madhya Pradesh (52,129) are among the jurisdictions with the highest pendency of execution petitions in district courts.

Nagaland (57), Meghalaya (60), Sikkim (61) and Arunachal Pradesh (79) were states with least pendency of execution petitions while Chandigarh (494), Himachal Pradesh (12,562), Punjab (15,023) and Haryana (15,300) were also on the list of states/UTs with such petitions.

The Bench – which also included Justice Pankaj Mithal – however, noted that “In last six months i.e. after our directions, in all 3,38,685 execution petitions have been decided and disposed of.”

“After the decree is passed, if it is going to take years and years to execute the decree, then it makes no sense and would be nothing short of travesty of justice,” the top court had said in its verdict on March 6.

It had directed all the 25 high courts to call for necessary information from their respective district judiciary as regards pendency of the execution petitions.

“Once the data is collected, high courts shall thereafter proceed to issue an administrative order or circular directing their respective district judiciary to ensure that the execution petitions pending in various courts shall be decided and disposed of within a period of six months without fail otherwise the concerned presiding officer would be answerable to the high court on its administrative side,” it had said, directing them to forward the same to the Supreme Court.

The Bench expressed displeasure over the Karnataka High Court not furnishing the necessary data as directed by the top court in its March 6 order.

“The Registrar General of the High Court of Karnataka owes an explanation why he has failed to provide us with the necessary information. Two weeks’ time is granted to the Registrar General of the High Court to offer his explanation in this regard,” it said.