Nagpur: In a deeply alarming revelation, the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court is reeling under a massive staff crunch, exposing glaring administrative apathy and raising serious concerns over the functioning of the justice delivery system.
Information obtained under the Right to Information Act by RTI activist Abhay Kolarkar has revealed that as many as 316 posts remain vacant across various categories. Against a sanctioned strength of 950 positions, only 663 are currently filled, a staggering shortfall that cuts across administrative, technical, and support staff.
Gold Rate
May 06- 2026 - Time 10.30Hrs
The situation is particularly dire in the lower rungs that keep the system running. Group C and Group D, the backbone of court operations, are the worst affected. In Group C alone, 160 out of 446 posts are vacant, including an alarming 127 clerk/typist positions, severely impacting day-to-day documentation and case processing. Vacancies also persist among junior translators, interpreters, stenographers, and library staff.
Group D tells an equally grim story, with 103 vacancies out of 327 posts. Essential roles such as peons, hamals, and watchmen remain unfilled, along with gaps in lift operators, photocopy staff, and sanitation workers, basic yet crucial functions that ensure smooth court operations.
The crisis is not limited to lower staff. In Group B, nearly half the posts (40 out of 88) are vacant, with a shocking shortage of section officers, only 40 of 75 positions are filled. Even more concerning is the complete absence of technical personnel, as posts for hardware and software engineers lie entirely vacant, raising questions about the court’s preparedness in an increasingly digital judicial environment. Group A, comprising senior administrative officials, also reflects 12 vacancies.
Despite this skeletal workforce, the court continues to grapple with an overwhelming caseload. Between 2023 and April 2026, the Nagpur Bench handled 39,417 cases, with civil matters dominating at 32,246 cases, compared to 7,171 criminal cases. The year 2025 alone saw a surge with 15,256 filings, the highest in recent years.
While the High Court Legal Services Sub-Committee has provided free legal aid to thousands, 1,134 beneficiaries in 2023, 1,132 in 2024, 1,223 in 2025, and 363 in early 2026, the absence of comprehensive data for vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities and those with mental illness raises further concerns about inclusivity and outreach.
The data paints a troubling picture: a justice system burdened with rising cases but starved of manpower. The severe shortage, especially in clerical and support staff, is not just an administrative lapse, it directly threatens timely justice delivery.
If urgent corrective measures are not taken, this widening gap between workload and workforce could lead to deeper systemic inefficiencies, prolonged delays, and erosion of public trust in the judicial system.
