High Courts Under Scrutiny as SC Demands Accountability for 8.8 Lakh Pending Execution Petitions.
(By Syed Ali Taher Abedi)
Delhi,18,October, 2025 – In a stern admonition to the nation’s judiciary, the Supreme Court has expressed grave concern over the alarming backlog of execution petitions (EPs) pending across various High Courts, which now total approximately 8.8 lakh. Despite earlier directives aimed at expediting their disposal, the petitions continue to accumulate, prompting the apex court to issue fresh warnings and extend deadlines.
A bench comprising Justices J.B. Pardi Wala and Pankaj Mithal noted that the scale of pendency threatens to undermine the very essence of justice. “If not addressed appropriately, justice itself would be reduced to a farce,” the bench observed.
Earlier this year, while ruling on a four-decade-old property dispute, the Supreme Court had directed all High Courts to collect data from their respective district judiciaries and ensure the disposal of pending EPs within six months. The court had also warned that presiding officers failing to comply would be held accountable.
However, consolidated reports submitted to the Supreme Court revealed significant non-compliance. States such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh were identified as having the highest levels of pendency. The court remarked that these figures “betrayed the spirit” of its earlier order.
Notably, the Karnataka High Court failed to furnish any data despite repeated instructions. The Supreme Court has now directed its Registrar General to submit an explanation within two weeks, emphasizing that such lapses “cannot be ignored.”
“The Registrar General of the High Court of Karnataka owes an explanation why he has failed to provide us with the necessary information. Two weeks’ time is granted to the Registrar General of the High Court to offer his explanation in this regard.”
Acknowledging the scale of the challenge, the bench has extended the compliance deadline by another six months. It reiterated that prolonged delays in implementing decrees amount to a “travesty of justice.”
“In view of the above, we grant further six months to all the High Courts to follow up with their respective District judiciary as regards the disposal of the execution petitions.”
The matter has been scheduled for further hearing on April 10, 2026, with all High Courts instructed to submit updated data by that date.
The petitioners were represented by
By Courts Motion, Ms. Mrinal Kanwar, AOR, Mr. Dinesh Kumar Chouhan, Adv. Mr. Vaibhav Rajsingh Rathore, Adv.
