Lok Sabha Question No. 863 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-26
Subject: Pending Cases before Supreme Court Bench
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Shri K Radhakrishnan

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

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 863 TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 26 TH  JULY, 2024

## PENDING CASES BEFORE SUPREME COURT BENCH

## 863.  SHRI K RADHAKRISHNAN:

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

- (a) whether the Government has taken note of the fact that several cases having serious  consequences  for  the  legal  system  of  the  country  are  pending  before various Constitution Benches of the Supreme Court;
- (b) if so, the details thereof including the names of such cases, type of constitution bench and period of pendency;
- (c) whether it is true that the reason for pendency of the above mentioned cases is the  lack  of  interest  shown  by  the  Government  in  expediting  the  same,  if  so,  the remedial action taken in this regard; and
- (d) the number of cases heard and disposed by the Constitutional Benches of the Supreme Court since its inception till date, decade-wise?

## 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) & (b): The pending cases before the Constitution Benches of the Supreme Court  are  not  categorized  on  the  basis  of  'having  serious  consequences  for  the legal  system  of  the  country'.  As  per  information  available  on  National  Judicial Data Grid (NJDG), the number of cases pending before the Constitution Benches of the Supreme Court, as on date, are as follows:

| Constitution Bench   |   No. of Pending Cases |
|----------------------|------------------------|
| Five-Judge Bench     |                     35 |
| Seven-Judge Bench    |                      8 |
| Nine-Judge Bench     |                      7 |
| Eleven-Judge Bench   |                      0 |
| More than 11 Judges  |                      0 |

Based on information available  on National  Judicial  Data  Grid  (NJDG), the  detailed  statement  of  pending  cases  before  Supreme  Court,  Constitution Bench-wise, including name and date of filing are placed at Annexure .

- (c): The disposal of above mentioned cases is within the exclusive domain of the  judiciary.  However,  as  per  information  provided  by  the  Supreme  Court,  the Constitution Bench cases, often involve intricate legal issues and the arguments can span from several days to months. These matters require  extensive analysis and  detailed  examination  of  the  law.  Consequently,  it  is  impractical  to  define stringent  parameters  or  fixed  timelines  for  expediting  the  adjudication  of  such cases.

(d): The  decade-wise  list  of  cases  heard  and  disposed  by  the  Constitutional Benches of the Supreme Court since its inception and till date, is as under:

| Sl. No.   | Period                | No. of cases disposed by Constitution Benches   |
|-----------|-----------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| 1         | 1950-1959             | 440                                             |
| 2         | 1960-1969             | 956                                             |
| 3         | 1970-1979             | 292                                             |
| 4         | 1980-1989             | 110                                             |
| 5         | 1990-1999             | 157                                             |
| 6         | 2000-2009             | 138                                             |
| 7         | 2010-2019             | 70                                              |
| 8         | 2020-2024 (till date) | 29                                              |
|           | TOTAL                 | 2,192                                           |

********

## Annexure

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) AND\_(B) OF LOK SABHA  UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  863  FOR  ANSWER  ON  26.07.2024 REGARDING 'PENDING CASES BEFORE SUPREME COURT BENCH'.

| Diary no.        | Case Number                                  | Date of Filing   | Party Name                                                                  |
|------------------|----------------------------------------------|------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Five-Judge Bench | Five-Judge Bench                             | Five-Judge Bench | Five-Judge Bench                                                            |
| 25700 / 2023     | WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) / 678 / 2023           | 01-07-2023       | GOVERNMENT OF NATIONAL CAPITAL TERRITORY OF D Vs UNION OF INDIA             |
| 31429 / 2013     | WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) / 921 / 2013           | 01-10-2013       | SAMA-RESOURCE GROUP FOR WOMEN AND HEALTH Vs UNION OF INDIA                  |
| 11168 / 2014     | CURATIVE PETITION(CIVIL) / 106 / 2014        | 02-04-2014       | DR. SHEKHAR SESHADRI Vs SURESH KUMAR KOUSHAL                                |
| 3658 / 2022      | CONTEMPT PETITION (CIVIL) / 91 / 2022        | 03-02-2022       | PIYALI RAY CHOWDHURY Vs NARAYAN SWAROOP NIGAM                               |
| 25917 / 2023     | -                                            | 03-07-2023       | ANJALI SHARMA Vs UNION OF INDIA                                             |
| 26252 / 2023     | -                                            | 03-07-2023       | THE ANIMAL WELFARE BOARD OF INDIA Vs UNION OF INDIA                         |
| 46079 / 2023     | REVIEW PETITION (CIVIL) / 1866 / 2023        | 03-11-2023       | SUPRIYO @ SUPRIYA CHAKRABORTY Vs UNION OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE |
| 27935 / 2017     | WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) / 880 / 2017           | 04-09-2017       | ASSOCIATION FOR DEMOCRATICS REFORMS Vs UNION OF INDIA                       |
| 7808 / 2018      | WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) / 202 / 2018           | 05-03-2018       | ASHWINI KUMAR UPADHYAY Vs UNION OF INDIA                                    |
| 22311 / 2016     | CRIMINAL APPEAL / 1003 / 2017                | 05-07-2016       | PYARE LAL Vs STATE OF HARYANA                                               |
| 30032 / 2009     | CIVIL APPEAL / 5965 / 2010                   | 05-10-2009       | FOOD CORPORATION OF INDIA Vs NAV DURGA RICE MILLS .                         |
| 10730 / 2022     | SUO MOTO WRIT PETITION(CRIMINAL) / 1 / 2022  | 06-04-2022       | IN RE: FRAMING GUIDELINES REGARDING POTENTIAL Vs                            |
| 17223 / 2015     | WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) / 311 / 2015           | 06-05-2015       | DEPAK KUMAR NATH Vs UNION OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS REPRE           |
| 18396 / 2007     | CIVIL APPEAL / 9935 / 2014                   | 06-07-2007       | RANCHI ASSOCIATION Vs UNION OF INDIA AND ORS .                              |
| 3900 / 2008      | SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION (CIVIL) / 3660 / 2008 | 08-02-2008       | THE STATE OF PUNJAB Vs SAHIL MITTAL                                         |
| 28531 / 2019     | CIVIL APPEAL / 9486 /                        | 09-08-2019       | CENTRAL ORGANISATION FOR                                                    |

|                   | 2019                                        |                   | RAILWAY ELECTRIFICAT Vs M/S ECI SPIC SMO MCML (JV) A JOINT VENTURE CO   |
|-------------------|---------------------------------------------|-------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 41794 / 2023      | -                                           | 09-10-2023        | SYDENA MUFADDAL SAIFUDDIN Vs CENTRAL BOARD OF DAWOOODI BOHRA COMMUNITY  |
| 12551 / 2020      | -                                           | 10-06-2020        | SUVARNA PAKA JAGGA RAO Vs CHEBROLU LEELA PRASAD RAO                     |
| 10865 / 2000      | WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) / 546 / 2000          | 10-07-2000        | IN RE ARTICLE 334 OF THE CONSTITUTION Vs ...                            |
| 18450 / 2021      | WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) / 887 / 2021          | 10-08-2021        | GOVERNMENT OF NCT OF DELHI Vs UNION OF INDIA                            |
| 38134 / 2009      | CIVIL APPEAL / 1214 / 2011                  | 11-12-2009        | UNION OF INDIA Vs VINOD KUMAR                                           |
| 1543 / 2016       | WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) / 36 / 2016           | 12-01-2016        | V. VASANTHAKUMAR Vs H.C. BHATIA AND ORS. MINISTRY OFLAWANDJU            |
| 27156 / 2016      | WRIT PETITION(CRIMINAL) / 113 / 2016        | 12-08-2016        | KAUSHAL KISHOR Vs THE STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH GOVT. OF U.P. HOME         |
| 28033 / 2005      | CIVIL APPEAL / 7513 / 2005                  | 14-12-2005        | STATE OF A.P. Vs B. ARCHANA REDDY .                                     |
| 29686 / 2017      | CIVIL APPEAL / 841 / 2018                   | 16-09-2017        | M/S. BAJAJ ALLIANCE GENERAL INSURANCE CO.LTD. Vs RAMBHA DEVI            |
| 42134 / 2016      | SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION (CIVIL) / 804 / 2017 | 17-12-2016        | KARMANYA SINGH SAREEN Vs UNION OF INDIA                                 |
| 76079 / 1996      | CIVIL APPEAL / 16879 / 1996                 | 18-12-1996        | STATE OF W B Vs PASCHIM BANGA B.K.SAMITY .                              |
| 16155 / 2022      | -                                           | 19-05-2022        | CHEBROLU LEELA PRASAD RAO Vs SOMESH KUMAR                               |
| 47928 / 2023      | CRIMINAL APPEAL / 3589 / 2023               | 19-11-2023        | HIGH COURT BAR ASSOCIATION ALLAHABAD Vs THE STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH      |
| 13164 / 2011      | CIVIL APPEAL / 2634 / 2013                  | 21-04-2011        | TEJ PRAKASH PATHAK Vs RAJASTHAN HIGH COURT                              |
| 38037 / 2022      | -                                           | 23-11-2022        | JAYA THAKUR Vs UNION OF INDIA                                           |
| 16113 / 2009      | WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) / 274 / 2009          | 25-05-2009        | IN RE SECTION 6A OF THE CITIZENSHIP ACT 1955 Vs                         |
| 23064 / 2018      | CIVIL APPEAL / 9228 / 2022                  | 26-06-2018        | HARIHARAN Vs HARSH VARDHAN SINGH RAO                                    |
| 10061 / 2017      | TRANSFER PETITION (CIVIL) / 582 / 2017      | 30-03-2017        | KHUDALA GRAM SEVA SHAKARI SAMITI LTD Vs UNION OF INDIA                  |
| 21589 / 2005      | CRIMINAL APPEAL / 375 / 2006                | 30-09-2005        | UNION OF INDIA . Vs PREETI AGGARWAL                                     |
| Seven-Judge Bench | Seven-Judge Bench                           | Seven-Judge Bench | Seven-Judge Bench                                                       |
| / 2021 WRIT       | PETITION                                    | 24-06-2021        | S.G. VOMBATKERE Vs UNION                                                |

|                  | (CIVIL) / 682 / 2021                          |                  | OF INDIA                                                                              |
|------------------|-----------------------------------------------|------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 15235 / 2015     | SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION (CIVIL) / 14842 / 2015 | 07-05-2015       | REGISTRAR GENERAL, HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE A Vs TAMIL NADU PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION |
| 20234 / 2022     | WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) / 493 / 2022            | 08-07-2022       | SUBHASH DESAI Vs PRINCIPAL SECRETARY, GOVERNOR OF MAHARASHTRA                         |
| 23338 / 2003     | WRIT PETITION(CRIMINAL) / 206 / 2003          | 09-11-2003       | N. RAVI Vs SPEAKER,LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY,CHENNAI&ORS                                   |
| 25536 / 2010     | CIVIL APPEAL / 2317 / 2011                    | 13-08-2010       | THE STATE OF PUNJAB Vs DAVINDER SINGH                                                 |
| 71852 / 1994     | CIVIL APPEAL / 8763 / 1994                    | 11-02-1994       | ARJUN FLOUR MILLS Vs THE STATE OF ODISHA FINANCE DEPARTMENT SECRET                    |
| 9287 / 2006      | CIVIL APPEAL / 2286 / 2006                    | 08-04-2006       | ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY THROUGH ITS REGISTR Vs NARESH AGARWAL                       |
| 9680 / 2017      | CIVIL APPEAL / 8588 / 2019                    | 28-03-2017       | ROJER MATHEW Vs SOUTH INDIAN BANK LTD AND ORS CHIEF MANAGER                           |
| Nine-Judge Bench | Nine-Judge Bench                              | Nine-Judge Bench | Nine-Judge Bench                                                                      |
| 2996 / 2005      | CIVIL APPEAL / 151 / 2007                     | 05-07-2005       | STATE OF U.P. . Vs M/S. LALTA PRASAD VAISH                                            |
| 16528 / 2001     | WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) / 419 / 2001            | 24-09-2001       | AHMED HABIB INDIAN INHABITANT Vs STATE OF MAHARASHTRA THROUGH THE SECRETARY IN        |
| 28032 / 2006     | CIVIL APPEAL / 673 / 2008                     | 01-11-2006       | STATE OF U.P. Vs M/S KESAR ENTERPRISES LTD.                                           |
| 38452 / 2018     | REVIEW PETITION (CIVIL) / 3358 / 2018         | 10-10-2018       | KANTARU RAJEEVARU Vs INDIAN YOUNG LAWYERS ASSOCIATION THR.ITS GENE                    |
| 78629 / 1992     | CIVIL APPEAL / 1012 / 2002                    | 31-12-1992       | PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION Vs STATE OF MAHARASHTRA .                                 |
| 9012 / 1999      | CIVIL APPEAL / 4056 / 1999                    | 26-05-1999       | MINERAL AREA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ETC. Vs M/S STEEL AUTHORITY OF INDIA .             |
| 9099 / 2001      | CIVIL APPEAL / 897 / 2002                     | 24-05-2001       | STATE OF U.P. Vs JAI BIR SINGH                                                        |

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