NEW DELHI: Property is the single largest cause of legal feuds in India, if a recent survey is to be believed. Of the over 3.2 crore cases pending in Indian courts, land and property disputes top the list with 66.2 per cent cases, followed by just 10 per cent cases pertaining to family matters relating to civil disputes, says a study conducted by Bengaluru-based NGO Daksh.
The maximum number of property cases are initiated by Indian middle-income class families, earning Rs 5-10 lakh annually. The survey conducted to understand the functioning of the judiciary and profile of litigants was carried out across 305 locations in 24 States and had interviewed 9,329 litigants.
It reveals that litigants attending a trial court hearing incurs loss of wages and business of over Rs 50,000 crore a year at an average of Rs 1,746 per case a day.
A complainant in civil cases spent Rs 20,000 per case, doling out more than the accused who incurred only Rs 15,000. In criminal cases, the accused spent more, Rs 20,000 compared to Rs 10,000 by the State.