New Delhi,September 01, The new annual report of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has revealed that 7,072 corruption cases investigated by the CBI are pending in various courts across the country. A matter of concern is that out of the total pending cases, 2,660 cases are over 10 years old.
According to the report, 379 of these cases have been stuck for over 20 years, while 2,281 cases have been pending for between 10 and 20 years. As of December 31, 2024, 1,506 cases had been pending for less than 3 years, 791 cases for between 3 and 5 years, and 2,115 cases for between 5 and 10 years.
13,100 appeals and revision petitions by the CBI and the accused are pending in High Courts and the Supreme Court. Among these, 606 appeals have been pending for over 20 years and 1,227 appeals for between 15 and 20 years.
Conviction rate 69% in 2024, 2% lower than 2023
In 2024, a total of 644 cases were disposed of. Among these, 392 cases resulted in conviction, 154 in acquittal, 21 accused were discharged, and 77 cases were disposed of for other reasons. According to the report, the conviction rate in 2024 was 69.14%, while in 2023 it was 71.47%.
Why are so many cases pending?
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Pressure on judicial infrastructure – Courts already have millions of cases pending, which prevents timely disposal of CBI cases.
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Shortage and delay of witnesses – Witnesses turning hostile, frequent adjournments, and time taken in gathering evidence.
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Legal complexities – In major cases, the legal process is lengthy and involves multiple stages of appeal.
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CBI’s limited capacity – The investigating agency does not have as many officers and resources as are necessary for such a large scale.
