Court warns of “travesty of justice” if delays persist, directs High Courts to expedite disposal.
Supreme Court of India.
New Delhi, 18 October 2025. The Supreme Court of India has expressed serious concern over the alarming backlog of execution petitions, which has now reached a staggering 8.8 lakh cases. Despite earlier directions to expedite their disposal, the Court observed that the situation remains “highly disappointing” and “alarming,” with execution petitions continuing to pile up across the country.
The Bench, comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Pankaj Mithal, noted that while 3.38 lakh execution petitions were disposed of since March 2023, the remaining pendency is a significant cause for concern. The Court emphasized that unless decree-holders are able to realize the outcome of their cases without years of delay, the very concept of justice will be rendered meaningless.
“A travesty of justice”
In a stern order passed on October 16, the Court highlighted that if decrees are not executed promptly, the entire judicial process risks losing its credibility. The Bench remarked, “After the decree is passed, if it is going to take years and years to execute the decree, then it makes no sense and would be nothing short of a travesty of justice.”
The Court had earlier, in the case of Periyammal & Ors. vs. V Rajamani & Anr., issued a directive to all High Courts to ensure that pending execution petitions be decided within six months. It further mandated that presiding officers who fail to comply would be answerable on the administrative side of their respective High Courts.
Alarming figures from multiple states
The reports submitted to the Supreme Court revealed a widespread issue, with significant backlogs in several states. Among the worst-hit jurisdictions:
Maharashtra has over 3.4 lakh pending execution petitions.
Tamil Nadu reports 86,000.
Kerala has nearly 83,000.
Uttar Pradesh has over 27,000.
Andhra Pradesh accounts for more than 68,000.
The total number of pending execution petitions across the nation stands at 8,82,578, with many of these cases remaining unresolved for years. The Court called the situation “disappointing” and indicated that the numbers represent a serious failure to comply with its previous instructions.
Karnataka’s non-compliance
In addition to expressing dissatisfaction with the national figures, the Supreme Court noted that the Karnataka High Court had failed to provide the required data. In a strongly-worded statement, the Bench directed the Registrar General of the Karnataka High Court to file an explanation within two weeks. “The Registrar General of the High Court of Karnataka owes an explanation why he has failed to provide us with the necessary information,” the Bench said, adding that such non-compliance could not be ignored.
Extension of compliance deadline
In light of the ongoing backlog, the Court has granted High Courts an additional six months to comply with the earlier directions and has emphasized the need for all jurisdictions to closely monitor their district judiciary. The Court also called on High Courts to adopt effective procedures for the prompt enforcement of decrees, highlighting that such delays undermine public faith in the judicial system.
“If a decree cannot be implemented for years, it amounts to a travesty of justice,” the Court reiterated, stressing the urgency of addressing the issue.
Future hearings and monitoring
The Court has scheduled a follow-up hearing for April 10, 2026, to further monitor progress on the matter. By this date, all High Courts are expected to submit updated data on the number of pending and disposed execution petitions.
Legal Representation
The petitioners in the case were represented by Advocate Mrinal Kanwar, Advocate Dinesh Kumar Chouhan, and Advocate Vaibhav Rajsingh Rathore. The respondents, on the other hand, were represented by a team of lawyers including Advocate Rahul Jain, Advocate Kunal Chatterji, Advocate Maitrayee Banerjee, Advocate Rohit Bansal, Advocate Varij Nayan Mishra, Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, Advocate Gopal Jha, Advocate Shireesha Sharma, Advocate Sawan Datta, Advocate Nand Kishore Sharma, Advocate Ankit Agrawal, Advocate Arjun Garg, Advocate Sagun Srivastava, Advocate Saaransh Shukla, Advocate Muskan Bensla, Advocate Sanjai Kumar Pathak, Advocate Shashi Pathak, Advocate Arvind Kumar Tripathi, and Advocate Smriti Singh.
As the Court continues to closely monitor the situation, the legal community and the public await the implementation of these critical measures to alleviate the growing backlog of execution petitions across India.
