Lok Sabha Question No. 5743 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-04
Subject: Pendency of SC/ST Cases in Odisha's District and High Courts
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Shri Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.5743 TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 04 TH  APRIL, 2025

## PENDENCY OF SC/ST CASES IN ODISHA'S DISTRICT AND HIGH COURTS

## 5743. SHRI SAPTAGIRI SANKAR ULAKA:

Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  total  number of cases registered under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, pending in the Odisha High Court till date;
- (b) the total number of such cases pending in Odisha, district-wise;
- (c) the average duration for which these cases have been pending in both the High Court and district courts;
- (d) the number of exclusive special courts established in Odisha for the trial of offences under the said Act and their respective locations; and
- (e)  the  conviction  and  acquittal  rates  in  cases  tried  under  the  said  Act,  in Odisha during the past five years?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS

## (SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL)

(a) to (e): As per the information provided by the High Court of Orissa,under the  Scheduled  Castes  and  the  Scheduled  Tribes  (Prevention  of  Atrocities) Act,  1989  (hereinafter  referred  as  the  'Act'),  as  on  26.03.2025,  2735  cases have been registered and 290 cases are pending in the High Court. Further, as

on 28.02.2025, 18562 cases are pending in the District  Courts.The detailed statement  showing  District-wise  pendency  is  at Annexure-I .  The  average duration  of  18,562  cases  pending  in  the  District  Courts  of  the  State  as  on 28.02.2025 is 4.42 years.Further, 3 (three) exclusive Special Courts have been established  at  Balangir,  Balasore  and  Cuttack  in  Odisha  for  the  trial  of offences under the Act. The details regarding conviction / acquittal rates in cases tried under the Act in Odisha during the last five years are as under:

| Year                    |   Conviction rate (%) |   Acquittal rate (%) |
|-------------------------|-----------------------|----------------------|
| 2020                    |                  4.94 |                85.77 |
| 2021                    |                  5.2  |                85.82 |
| 2022                    |                  9.27 |                89.24 |
| 2023                    |                  4.43 |                90.83 |
| 2024                    |                  2.21 |                88.76 |
| 2025 (as on 28.02.2025) |                  6.27 |                78.42 |

******

## ANNEXURE-I

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5743 FOR ANSWER ON 04.04.2025 REGARDING  'PENDENCY  OF  SC/ST  CASES  IN  ODISHA'S DISTRICT AND HIGH COURTS'.

| Sl. No.   | Name of the Judgeship   |   Pendency as on 28.02.2025 |   Average duration of cases pending as on 28.02.2025 (in Years) |
|-----------|-------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1         | Angul                   |                         727 |                                                            4.46 |
| 2         | Balangir                |                         148 |                                                            3.91 |
| 3         | Balarore                |                         987 |                                                            5.87 |
| 4         | Bargarh                 |                         715 |                                                            4.3  |
| 5         | Bhadrak                 |                        1201 |                                                            3.44 |
| 6         | Boudh                   |                         213 |                                                            3.97 |
| 7         | Cuttak                  |                        1637 |                                                            4.02 |
| 8         | Deogarh                 |                         196 |                                                            6.8  |
| 9         | Dhenkanal               |                         844 |                                                            4.91 |
| 10        | Gajapati                |                          70 |                                                            2.23 |
| 11        | Ganjam                  |                        1018 |                                                            3.21 |
| 12        | jagatsinghpur           |                         673 |                                                            3.39 |
| 13        | jajpur                  |                        1596 |                                                            3.56 |
| 14        | Jharsuguda              |                         344 |                                                            4.63 |
| 15        | Kalahandi               |                         498 |                                                            4.26 |
| 16        | Kandhamal               |                         207 |                                                            3.66 |
| 17        | Kendrapara              |                        1225 |                                                            4    |
| 18        | Keonjhar                |                         525 |                                                            4.22 |
| 19        | Khurda                  |                        1493 |                                                            6.7  |
| 20        | Koraput                 |                         185 |                                                            5.8  |
| 21        | Malkangiri              |                          65 |                                                            3.2  |
| 22        | Mayurbhanj              |                         515 |                                                            4.04 |
| 23        | Nabarangpur             |                         202 |                                                            9.15 |
| 24        | Nayagarh                |                         257 |                                                            3.58 |
| 25        | Nuapada                 |                         268 |                                                            5.21 |
| 26        | Puri                    |                        1425 |                                                            4.3  |
| 27        | Rayagada                |                          91 |                                                            2.66 |
| 28        | Sambalpur               |                         420 |                                                            4.21 |
| 29        | Sonepur                 |                         342 |                                                            5.16 |
| 30        | Sundargarh              |                         475 |                                                            3.88 |
| Total     | Total                   |                       18562 |                                                            4.42 |