'1.45 Lakh Cases Pending Without Closure Report Despite Completed Investigation': Chhattisgarh High Court Seeks DGP's Reply
Saksham Vaishya
30 July 2026 9:10 PM IST
The Chhattisgarh High Court has directed the Director General of Police to file an updated status report on cases in which investigations have been completed but closure reports have not yet been filed before the competent courts. The Court noted that despite a reduction in the backlog, over 1.45 lakh such cases remained pending.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal was hearing a writ petition filed by Yogendra Babu Sharma seeking a direction to the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Raipur, to pass appropriate orders on a closure report submitted in a case and to decide the petitioner's objection to the closure report under Section 173(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure. During the proceedings, the Court had earlier directed the Director General of Police, Chhattisgarh, to place on record the statewide status of cases in which investigations had been completed but closure reports had not been filed before competent courts. Pursuant to that direction, the DGP filed an affidavit placing the updated figures on record.
The affidavit disclosed that as on 16 July 2026, there were 1,45,097 cases in which investigations had been completed, but closure reports were yet to be filed before the competent courts. It further stated that the corresponding figure on 20 May 2026 was 1,47,714, indicating that closure reports had been filed in 2,617 cases during the intervening period.
The affidavit also informed the Court that directions had been issued to the Police Commissioner, Raipur, the Inspector General of Police of the Range and the concerned Superintendents of Police to ensure timely submission of charge sheets or closure reports after completion of investigation and to continuously monitor compliance.
Taking note of the updated figures, the Bench directed the Director General of Police, Chhattisgarh, to file a fresh affidavit before the next date of hearing indicating the updated status of cases where, despite completion of investigation, closure reports had not been filed before the competent courts, and listed the matter for further consideration on 18 August 2026.
Case Title: Yogendra Babu Sharma v. State of Chhattisgarh & Ors. [WPCR No. 193 of 2026]
