No Murder Reference Left Pending: Rajasthan High Court Achieves Complete Clearance at Jodhpur Principal Seat
Jodhpur: In a major achievement for the justice delivery system, the Principal Seat of the Rajasthan High Court at Jodhpur has become completely free of pending murder reference cases. A Division Bench of Justice Vinit Kumar Mathur and Justice Chandra Shekhar Sharma disposed of the last remaining murder reference, bringing the pendency of such cases down to zero on August 6, 2026
The final case to be decided was Murder Reference No. 02/2023 – State vs. Ramesh Kumar Dhakad, which was pronounced on Thursday, 6 august. With this judgment, not a single murder reference remains pending before the Jodhpur Principal Seat, marking the culmination of a sustained judicial effort to clear one of the most sensitive categories of criminal cases.
The data highlights the scale of the achievement. The Division Bench of Justice Vinit Kumar Mathur and Justice Chandra Shekhar Sharma disposed of 10 murder reference cases, including:
• 02/2025 – State vs. kishan Lal (07.04.2026)
• 02/2022 – State vs. Jitendra (16.04.2026)
• 01/2025 – State vs. Hoorji (22.04.2026)
• 01/2024 – State vs. Kalu (18.05.2026)
• 04/2025 – State vs. Prem Lal (14.07.2026)
• 03/2025 – State vs. Pahad Singh (21.07.2026)
• 02/2021 – State vs. Dinesh (24.07.2026)
• 03/2022 – State vs. Narpat Singh (27.07.2026)
• 02/2024 – State vs. Kamlesh Aka Karan (30.07.2026)
• 02/2023 – State vs. Ramesh Kumar Dhakad (06.08.2026)
And,
One case decided by another Division Bench of Justice Vinit Kumar Mathur and Justice Anuroop Singhi has disposed the murder reference case:
• 03/23 – State v. Arjun Singh (03.10.2025)
Murder references are among the most significant criminal proceedings before a High Court. Whenever a trial court awards the death penalty, the sentence must undergo mandatory confirmation by the High Court before it can attain finality. These cases require an exhaustive re-appreciation of evidence and are often among the most time-consuming criminal matters.
The complete clearance of all pending murder references reflects the Rajasthan High Court’s focused approach towards timely disposal of serious criminal matters and ensuring that capital punishment cases are decided without unnecessary delay. The achievement is expected to strengthen public confidence in the efficiency of the judicial system and highlights the Court’s commitment to reducing pendency in the most sensitive category of criminal litigation.
With zero murder references now pending at the Principal Seat, the Rajasthan High Court has set a notable benchmark in judicial case management, demonstrating that even the most complex criminal matters can be cleared through sustained judicial effort and continuous monitoring.