Karnataka trial courts are facing shortage of public prosecutors which has piled up unsolved criminal cases number to 6.3 lakhs in these courts.
With approximately 40 percent of vacant Public prosecutor seats in Karnataka courts, criminal cases are getting delayed in Karnataka State. Figures from the Department of Prosecutions and Government Litigation, show there are 293 vacant posts out of total 773 sanctioned posts for prosecutors
Mr. H.C Chandramouli, a State Public Prosecutor of Karnataka said, “It puts a lot of burden on current Public prosecutors who has to travel from one district to another for hearing. And sometime judges have to postpone hearings because of unavailability of public prosecutors.”
The government had recruited public prosecutors in 2014, but due to a forgery in the entrance exam they were not given charge of their posts.
Mr P. Prasanna Kumar a Special Public Prosecutor, NIA, CBI for Karnataka “Now, government should not wait for decision on those 154 prosecutors, rather, they should fill up these vacant posts first. This will at least smooth the current situation.”
However, government say that the notification for new vacancies has already been sent out and they will be recruited shortly.
Mr. Amrut Kumar Director, Department of Prosecution and Government Litigation, Karnataka said, “We are hoping that it will be completed within next two to three months. For those 154 Public Prosecutors, decision will also come soon. “
Expert believe that criminal cases needs speedy trials and should be resolved as soon as possible to keep people’s faith in judiciary
Former retired judge Justice Varun Gowda said, “Dependency of the cases is the lack of adequate infrastructure to be provided by the state government. Cases like criminal cases that are not getting speedy justice are deprivation of Article 21 of constitution of India. Today, one Public prosecutor is looking after three court cases simultaneously, especially in metropolitan India, so if prosecutor are not there then no one will be there to examine cases, cases cannot be trial and it cannot be disposed off. Therefore, they need to fulfill their vacancies at the earliest to avoid this problem.”
