5.34 crore cases pending in Indian courts: Supreme Court
India's Supreme Court just shared that a huge 5.34 crore legal cases are still waiting to be resolved as of September 25.
The court called this a serious problem, emphasizing that a speedy trial is an unimpeachable right.
According to the National Judicial Data Grid, the biggest reasons for these delays include over 62 lakh cases stalled because lawyers aren't available and more than 35 lakh where the accused are on the run.
SC suggests revoking bail to clear backlog
The report also found that almost 27 lakh cases are held up because witnesses don't show up, and another 23 lakh are paused due to court stays.
To fix things, the Supreme Court has told lower courts not to postpone trials just because a lawyer is missing (unless there's been a death), and wants day-to-day hearings without unnecessary breaks.
The court even suggested stricter steps—like revoking bail if someone is clearly trying to delay their case—to help clear this massive backlog and make justice move faster for everyone.