A group of 100 trainee judicial officers have been assigned the task to dispose of a backlog of more than 50,000 cases that have been pending in the Metropolitan Magistrates Court under various acts punishable with imprisonment up to six months and fine up to Rs 5000.

The trainees were vested with powers of special metropolitan magistrate and within a period of five days, 53,159 cases were disposed of the 87,636 cases.

Moreover, revenue of nearly Rs two crore was generated by way of fine.

The Chief Justice and other judges of the Bombay High Court undertook the initiative. According to a press release issued by the registrar general’s office, a detailed plan was chalked out to enable the trainees to exercise jurisdiction as special metropolitan magistrates.

Now with the “phenomenal success” it has been proposed to continue with the plan as part of the ongoing mass judicial movement for reduction of pending cases in the state.