Staff Reporter
Guwahati: In the past two years in the state, petty and minor cases are being withdrawn from subordinate courts. The government is planning to speed up the process to reduce case pendency and the workload of the courts.
In 2022, the Assam government started this initiative to allow the courts to continue to devote the time for serious offenses and to decongest jails by releasing the under-trial prisoners who are accused in petty criminal cases.
Official sources said that a reduction in the backlog of cases is also a relief for witnesses who have to spend valuable time and money to attend hearing besides ensuring right to speedy trial under Article 21 of the Constitution. District judiciaries made a list of cases which could be withdrawn. If any victim is agreed to the proposal for withdrawal, he may file a complaint case.
In August 2022, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma explained why the government is keen on the initiative, that 4.5 lakh cases are pending in lower judiciary in Assam. Consequently, the cases take a long time to come up for hearing. He also said there are around 1 lakh petty and minor cases with the quantum of sentence of less than 3 years. So, he mooted the plan to withdraw the cases phase-wise and a SOP was also issued in September 2022 to that effect.
Three days ago, the chief minister said that under this policy, around 81,000 petty and minor cases have been withdrawn until march 2024.
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