Ranchi: A shocking report from the Jharkhand Police Headquarters reveals that the number of pending criminal cases in the state has increased 13-fold over the past 14 months. The report indicates that, just 14 months ago, there were only 352 criminal cases older than four years. This number has now skyrocketed to 4,588.
The police headquarters has raised alarm over the surge, expressing concerns about the lack of regular reviews at the zonal and range levels. The report warns that if these cases are not addressed in a timely manner, the backlog could continue to grow.
District-wise figures show a wide range of case backlogs, with Ranchi leading the state with 1,576 cases. Dhanbad and Hazaribagh follow with 429 cases each. Bokaro has 378 pending cases, and Palamu has 219. Other districts, such as Giridih (178) and Chatra (196), also have significant numbers, while districts like Ramgarh and Jamtara have only one and three cases pending, respectively.
The report stresses the urgent need for focused efforts to address the rising number of pending cases and restore efficiency to the judicial system in Jharkhand.