Around 8.40 lakh criminal cases are lying pending in different courts of Odisha. Out of these, about 1.40 lakh cases are 10 years old.
While the numbers of criminal cases like rape and dacoity are rising every year in Odisha, the conviction rate in the State is lower than the national average.
Whereas 8,00,160 criminal cases were pending in lower courts by December last year, 38,705 criminal cases were pending in the High Court. However, no exact figure is available on the cases pending in courts in the past few months. According to official records, out of over 8 lakh criminal cases pending in lower courts by the end of 2015, around 1.33 lakh were 10 years old, 1.85 lakh were pending for five to 10 years and 1.75 lakh for two to five years.
Similarly, out of 38,705 criminal cases pending in the High Court, 6,249 are 10 years old, 10,206 are between five and 10 years and 8,001 for two to five years. As per the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB)’s report, the conviction rate in Odisha is low. However, a small rise has been noticed in this field in the past five years.
While the conviction rate was 9.9 per cent in the criminal cases in 2010, it was 10.3 per cent in 2011, 11 per cent in 2012, 10.3 per cent in 2013 and 16 per cent in 2014. On the other hand, the conviction rate in national average was 40.7 per cent in 2010, 41.1 per cent in 2011, 38.5 per cent in 2012, 40.2 per cent in 2013 and 45.1 per cent in 2014.
While 74,569 cases were registered under different sections of IPC in 2014 in the State, 41,992 IPC cases were disposed of during the year.
Out of these cases, the convicted were sentenced in only 4,674 cases. While the crime is on the rise in the State every year, the accused are acquitted in 83 per cent cases.
The conviction rate in the excise cases remains between 5 per cent and 8 per cent, and the conviction rate in rape case is registered at less than 10 per cent in the State.