J&K courts dispose of over 8,400 cases despite restrictions, communication clampdown

Source: moneycontrol.com

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court and other lower courts in the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh have disposed of over 8,400 cases in the last 23 days despite the strict clampdown on communication and other restrictions, The Times of Indiahas reported.

An overwhelming number of cases – 7055 – have been disposed of in Jammu, while Kashmir accounted for 981 cases.

Registrar General of J&K Sanjay Dhar told the newspaper that contrary to some news reports claiming that justice has been deferred in J&K due to the lockdown, all courts in the region have been functioning. “This is primarily because of the full attendance of public lawyers and judges,” Dhar added.

However, the report points out that only 5 percent of the estimated 3500 private lawyers in the Kashmir region have been coming to courts since August 5, when the Centre scrapped the special status hitherto enjoyed by Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated it into Union Territories.

In fact, in many cases where private lawyers were to appear before courts in Kashmir, petitioners have been fighting their own cases. But advocates in the haebus corpus cases related to terrorists and detained separatists have been regularly attending courts, Dhar told the newspaper.

Data accessed by the publication shows that 419 cases were disposed of in Srinagar district, 188 in Anantnag, 179 in Baramulla, 50 in Bandipora, 49 in Pulwama, and 9 in Shopian. Data for Budgam and Kupwara was not available because of communication clampdown.

In the Jammu region, 5576 cases were disposed of in Jammu district, 615 in Udhampur, 436 in Reasi, 245 in Ramban and 183 in Kathua. Data was not available for Kishtwar, Rajouri and Poonch.