Over 18 lakh pleas filed in courts during lockdown: SC judge

Over 18 lakh pleas were filed across courts in India during the coronavirus induced lockdown between March and July, Supreme Court judge Justice D Y Chandrachud said on Saturday.

He also said that virtual courts, which have been set up under "very very exceptional circumstances", are not here stay and the physical courts would gradually start functioning once again.

He was speaking during a virtual inauguration ceremony of the country's first E-Goverennace Centre in Nashik.

"During the period of lockdown between March 24 and July 24, as many as 18,03,327 cases were registered across the country, of which 7,90,112 have been disposed of," Justice Chandrachud said.

"During this period, the district courts in Maharashtra saw 2,22,431 cases, of which 61,986 have been disposed of despite functioning under the shadow of a serious pandemic," he added.

According to him, the virtual courts have prevented justice from getting locked down even during this period of crisis.

Justice Chandrachud, however, allayed fears that the virtual courts will replace the regular ones.

"Virtual courts were introduced to prevent justice being locked down during the period of crisis. But you can never replace the open court hearing...These are intended to be special measures set up under very very exceptional circumstances and gradually we will go back to physical court hearings," he said.

"But before we go to regular hearings, we have to be guided by the public health experts," he added.