Lok Sabha Question No. 3671 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-21
Subject: Cases of False Testimony
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Shri Atul Garg

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †3671 TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 21 ST  MARCH, 2025

## CASES OF FALSE TESTIMONY

## †3671. SHRI ATUL GARG:

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

- (a) the number of criminal cases lying pending in various courts till date Statewise;
- (b) the number of cases of false testimony registered by the court under section 215(1) of BNSS including the number of persons who have been punished;
- (c) whether the aggrieved person can also register case/complaint against those who have made false statement or falsely testified in the court, if so, the details thereof; and
- (d)  whether  the  Government  is  contemplating  to  bring  any  law  to  punish persons  who  make  false  statements  or  falsely  testify  in  the  court,  if  so,  the details thereof?

## 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): As per information available on National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG), the number of criminal cases lying pending in various courts as on 17.03.2025 is as under:

|   S. No. | Name of Court                   | Criminal cases   |
|----------|---------------------------------|------------------|
|        1 | Supreme Court                   | 17,647           |
|        2 | High Courts                     | 18,34,509        |
|        3 | District and Subordinate Courts | 3,46,20,014      |

The  detailed statement showing  State/UT-wise criminal cases lying pending in District Courts and High Courts are at Annexure-I and Annexure-II respectively.

(b): The Department does not maintain records on the number of cases registered by  the  courts  or  the  number  of  persons  punished  under  various  sections  of  the BharatiyaNagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.

(c) and (d): Section 229 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 provides for the  punishment  for  false  evidence.  The  details  of  the  same  and  other  related provisions can be accessed on the website : https://www.indiacode.nic.in/. Further, the legal provisions exist to deal with false statements/testimony.

*******

## ANNEXURE-I

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (A)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3671 FOR ANSWER ON 21.03.2025 REGARDING 'CASES OF FALSE TESTIMONY'.

## Criminal Cases pending in District and Subordinate Courts as on 17.03.2025

| Sl. No   | States             | Criminal Cases   |
|----------|--------------------|------------------|
| 1.       | Andhra Pradesh     | 4,56,899         |
| 2.       | Telangana          | 5,99,605         |
| 3.       | Andman& Nicobar    | 4,199            |
| 4.       | Arunachal Pradesh  | 8,020            |
| 5.       | Assam              | 4,02,337         |
| 6.       | Bihar              | 30,74,492        |
| 7.       | Chandigarh         | 78,974           |
| 8.       | Chhattisgarh       | 3,34,765         |
| 9.       | Delhi              | 13,01,253        |
| 10.      | Diu and Daman      | 1,850            |
| 11.      | DNH at Silvassa    | 2,567            |
| 12.      | Goa                | 32,902           |
| 13.      | Gujarat            | 11,51,412        |
| 14.      | Haryana            | 10,20,681        |
| 15.      | Himachal Pradesh   | 4,51,921         |
| 16.      | Jammu& Kashmir     | 2,14,451         |
| 17.      | Jharkhand          | 4,52,935         |
| 18.      | Karnataka          | 10,90,624        |
| 19.      | Kerala             | 11,92,476        |
| 20.      | Ladakh             | 773              |
| 21.      | Madhya Pradesh     | 15,96,896        |
| 22.      | Maharashtra        | 38,75,637        |
| 23.      | Manipur            | 4,149            |
| 24.      | Meghalaya          | 10,708           |
| 25.      | Mizoram            | 3,158            |
| 26.      | Nagaland           | 2,546            |
| 27.      | Orissa             | 13,84,778        |
| 28.      | Puducherry         | 22,310           |
| 29.      | Punjab             | 4,80,629         |
| 30.      | Rajasthan          | 18,07,848        |
| 31.      | Sikkim             | 964              |
| 32.      | Tamil Nadu         | 7,72,073         |
| 33.      | Tripura            | 30,459           |
| 34.      | U.T of Lakshadweep | 386              |
| 35.      | Uttar Pradesh      | 97,08,589        |
| 36.      | Uttarakhand        | 2,88,464         |
| 37.      | West Bengal        | 27,57,284        |
| Total    | Total              | 3,46,20,014      |

Source: National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG)

## ANNEXURE-II

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (A)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3671 FOR ANSWER ON 21.03.2025 REGARDING 'CASES OF FALSE TESTIMONY'.

Criminal Cases pending in High Courts as on 17.03.2025

| Sl. No.   | Name of High Court        | Criminal Cases   |
|-----------|---------------------------|------------------|
| 1.        | Allahabad                 | 5,52,716         |
| 2.        | Bombay                    | 1,14,296         |
| 3.        | Calcutta                  | 26,930           |
| 4.        | Gauhati                   | 16,184           |
| 5.        | Telangana                 | 31,908           |
| 6.        | Andhra Pradesh            | 38,769           |
| 7.        | Chhattisgarh              | 28,086           |
| 8.        | Delhi                     | 37,801           |
| 9.        | Gujarat                   | 55,959           |
| 10.       | Himachal Pradesh          | 12,433           |
| 11.       | Jammu and Kashmir &Ladakh | 8,635            |
| 12.       | Jharkhand                 | 40,834           |
| 13.       | Karnataka                 | 54,068           |
| 14.       | Kerala                    | 51,489           |
| 15.       | Madhya Pradesh            | 1,92,982         |
| 16.       | Manipur                   | 686              |
| 17.       | Meghalaya                 | 272              |
| 18.       | Punjab and Haryana        | 1,65,247         |
| 19.       | Rajasthan                 | 1,81,876         |
| 20.       | Sikkim                    | 67               |
| 21.       | Tripura                   | 171              |
| 22.       | Uttarakhand               | 25,035           |
| 23.       | Madras                    | 59,817           |
| 24.       | Orissa                    | 38,892           |
| 25.       | Patna                     | 99,356           |
| Total     | Total                     | 18,34,509        |

Source: National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG)