Three years after an additional sessions court was opened in Maharashtra’s Maoist-affected Gadchiroli district to bring justice closer to remote villages, the Aheri Additional District and Sessions Court has emerged as the state’s biggest UAPA docket, with 31 cases pending, most for five years or more.

The court was set up in 2023 after local lawyers had sought a sessions court in Aheri since 2008, with the aim of bringing trials closer to the jurisdiction where the alleged offences occurred and speeding up disposal.

The need for a dedicated court had also come into focus before the Supreme Court earlier this year during the bail proceedings of lawyer Surendra Gadling, who has represented several UAPA accused and was arrested in the 2018 Elgaar Parishad case. Gadling had told the Supreme Court that his 2016 Surjagarh arson case remained pending without a court or prosecutor in Aheri.

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had reported in January that the Aheri court had been without a judge for three months in 2025 and again in January, while around 200 undertrials were lodged in jails. Although the Supreme Court granted Gadling bail in the Elgaar Parishad case in May, he remains in custody in the Surjagarh case after more than seven years. His bail plea on grounds including delay remains pending.

For faster disposal of the high number of cases, two additional courts were added in April to the single functioning court in Aheri — two of these courts are designated to hear UAPA cases.

The court, however, continues to face logistical challenges. Located more than 120 km from the district headquarters, it has jurisdiction over more than 700 villages in heavily forested areas including Etapalli, Bhamragad and Mulchera. Witnesses often have to travel for hours by public transport, testify and leave in time to catch the last bus. Accused lodged in jails more than six hours away are frequently produced through videoconferencing.

The backlog is particularly significant because the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act imposes stringent restrictions on bail, meaning prolonged trials can result in prolonged incarceration for undertrials.

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Court records as of July 31 show that Gadchiroli accounts for 33 of the 72 UAPA cases pending across Maharashtra, with 31 before the Aheri court. Mumbai has 19, while Pune, Thane, Nagpur, Nashik, Gondia and Aurangabad have cases in single digits. Another 16 UAPA cases are before a Mumbai special court dealing with cases investigated by the National Investigation Agency.

Three UAPA cases have been disposed of at Aheri since January, all ending in acquittals.

In one case dating back to 2016, a 38-year-old Etapalli resident accused of being part of a group that allegedly fired at police was acquitted in March after the court found there was no witness identification. He had been arrested four years earlier. He was acquitted again in July in another 2022 Etapalli violence case.

In the third case, decided on September 1, a 45-year-old Bhamragad resident was acquitted after being accused of possessing a banner allegedly linked to Naxals. The court found no evidence that the banner had been recovered from him or that he was a member of an unlawful association or involved in unlawful activity. He had remained in custody since his arrest in 2021.

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Five pending cases are yet to reach the stage of framing of charges, while three are nearing conclusion. Most involve alleged seizures of Naxal-linked material or arms, or cases of violence and arson.

An official said ensuring witnesses reach court on time remains a major hurdle.

“One of the challenges for trials under UAPA is to ensure that there is quick disposal as accused remain behind bars while the trial is ongoing. Since many of the witnesses who have to depose in the case come from interior villages, travelling one-two hours on public transport through heavy forest areas, ensuring that they remain present on time and are done before the last bus leaves around 4-5 pm, is a primary logistical issue,” the official said.

The presiding officers have asked police to ensure witnesses are produced regularly and have scheduled depositions around local transport constraints. Producing police and medical witnesses transferred to other districts also requires coordination.

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Accused lodged at Nagpur jail are generally produced through VC. Courts have previously flagged patchy connectivity, describing the infrastructure as “far from ideal”.

Local lawyers, however, say the court has improved access to justice.

“There was one court initially after the Aheri court was inaugurated. Now, there are three presiding officers, two of whom have charge to hear UAPA cases. In terms of travel, there has been an improvement that the cases are heard closer to the jurisdiction of the alleged crimes. Residents of nearby villages do not have to travel to the Gadchiroli court,” said Rajendra Prasad Menganwar, president of the Aheri Bar Association.