Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The criminal justice system continued to operate under significant strain in 2024, with the majority of cases under IPC and BNS provisions yet to be resolved. Figures released by the National Crime Records Bureau show that more than 92 per cent of cases remained pending before courts by the end of the year, while convictions accounted for just 17.1 per cent.
As per the “Court Disposal of IPC/BNS Crime Cases (State/UT-wise) 2024” report, a total of 17,014 cases were pending during the year, of which 15,670 were still awaiting trial at year-end, highlighting the extent of judicial backlog.
Throughout 2024, courts received 1,606 new cases for trial and disposed of 1,344 cases. Among these disposals, only 203 resulted in convictions, while 902 accused were acquitted and 79 were discharged, indicating a considerably higher rate of acquittals.
The data further shows that trials were concluded in 1,184 cases during the year, but the overall pendency level remained very high at 92.1 per cent. In addition, 160 cases were resolved without full trial proceedings, including those settled through compromise, plea bargaining, or closed through judicial orders such as quashing or withdrawal.
On the investigative side, police handled 3,286 cases under IPC/BNS during the year, combining both pending investigations and fresh registrations. Charge sheets were filed in 1,606 cases, reflecting progress in a portion of the total workload.
However, several cases were closed without prosecution due to reasons such as lack of sufficient evidence, absence of leads, mistaken complaints, or classification as civil disputes. A small number of cases were also closed on procedural or legal grounds.
Under Special and Local Laws, 1,509 cases were investigated during the year, of which 1,119 were disposed of. The charge-sheeting rate remained high at 94.8 per cent, although 390 cases continued to remain under investigation, keeping pendency at 25.8 per cent.
