New Delhi, March 5 -- The Supreme Court has raised concerns that district and state consumer forums in several smaller states and Union Territories are increasingly becoming sinecures for retired district and High Court judges due to very low case pendency.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed that earlier sweeping directions by the apex court to strengthen consumer forums may not have fully considered the ground realities of low caseloads in certain regions, TOI reported.

Low Case Pendency in Several States

A district consumer forum is headed by a retired district judge, while a state consumer disputes redressal commission (SCDRC) is led by a retired High Court judge. However, sev...