The Shivajinagar court complex is home to Pune's District and Sessions Court, the civil courts and the Judicial Magistrate courts. Which of them hears your case depends on what kind of case it is and, for civil suits, its value. Your case's CNR number on the eCourts portal tells you the court, the courtroom, the next date and every order passed.
People often say they have a case ‘in Shivajinagar court’ as if it were one courtroom. It is actually dozens of courts in one complex, and finding the right one on the day is the first practical hurdle.
Which court hears what
| Court | Typical matters |
|---|---|
| Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) | Cheque bounce cases, most police cases at the start, regular bail in smaller offences, DV Act applications |
| Civil Judge, Junior Division | Civil suits of lower value, injunctions, many property and tenancy disputes |
| Civil Judge, Senior Division | Higher-value suits, partition, specific performance, summary suits |
| District Judge | Civil appeals, high-value civil suits and some succession matters |
| Sessions Court | Serious offences after committal, anticipatory bail, regular bail where the Magistrate has refused, criminal appeals |
Finding your courtroom on the day
- Look up your case on eCourts the evening before. It shows the court name and number.
- Check the cause list for that court on the same portal. It shows where your case is in the day's order.
- Cases are called by number. If you are not present when yours is called, it may be adjourned or, in some cases, dismissed for default.
- Keep your phone silent inside the courtroom. Stand when the judge enters and leaves.
Tracking a case online
The CNR number is a 16-character code assigned to every case, printed on the first page of your papers. On the eCourts services website or mobile app, it gives the history of the case, the next date and copies of most orders. You can also search by party name, case number or advocate name — which is also a quick way to check that an advocate actually appears in the Pune courts.
Certified copies
For an appeal, a revision or a quashing petition in the High Court, you usually need a certified copy of the order, not a printout. Certified copies are applied for at the copying section, with the court fee stamps required. Apply as soon as the order is passed — the time spent obtaining it is generally excluded from the limitation period, but only from the date you applied.
Free legal aid and Lok Adalats
The District Legal Services Authority, Pune provides free legal aid to eligible people, including women, children, members of Scheduled Castes and Tribes, persons in custody and those below the income limit. It also holds Lok Adalats, where pending cases — often cheque bounce, motor accident and family money disputes — can be settled with the court's approval.
Getting there
The District Court metro station is the interchange between the line from Pimpri-Chinchwad to Swargate and the Vanaz–Ramwadi line, which makes the complex easy to reach from both the PCMC side and from Kothrud or Kharadi. Shivajinagar railway station and the main PMPML bus stops are also close by.
The bottom line
Know your CNR number, check eCourts the night before, and reach the right courtroom before your case is called. Those three habits avoid most of the wasted dates people experience at Shivajinagar.