Sixteen Complaints before the Commission NUMBER AND NATURE 16.1 The total number of complaints registered in the Commission in 1999-2000 was 50,634, a 24.3% increase over die cases registered in 1998-99. The increase provides evidence of the growing determination of the people of India to defend their rights and their faith in the instrumentality of the Commission to do so. Once again, the State of Uttar Pradesh accounted for the largest number of complaints. The 28,598 cases registered from this State accounted for 56.5% of the total complaints received by the Commission during 1999-2000. Bihar followed Uttar Pradesh, with 4,409 complaints, and Delhi was third, with 3,077 complaints. 16.2 During the year under review, the Commission had a total of 51,159 cases to consider, of which 525 were carry over cases of 1998-99. During the year, the Commission considered 47,819 cases. At the end of this period, 3,340 cases were pending consideration of the Commission. Of the cases that were considered, 20,934 were dismissed in limini and 5,941 were disposed ofwith directions to the appropriate authorities. The Commission took cognizance of 20,944 cases for further action; of which 1,406 were concluded and 19,538 were pending, most awaiting reports asked for by the Commission from different authorities. Thus, during this period, the Commission disposed of a total of 28,281 cases. 16.3 As far as custodial deaths reported to the Commission are concerned, they showed a decline from 1,286 in 1998-99 to 1,093 in 1999-2000. Of the latter, 177 deaths occurred in police custody and 916 in judicial custody. Maharashtra reported the highest number of deaths in police custody, 30 such cases being reported this year; this Avas followed by 19 from West Bengal and 18 from Madhya Pradesh. In 1998-99 and 1997-98, custodial death cases in police custody were 180 and 191 respectively. Over the past years, the highest numbers of deaths in police custody have been reported from the States of Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Assam. 16.4 In the year 1999-2000, the maximum number of deaths in judicial custody occurred in Bihar—155 such cases were reported from the different jails in that State, followed by 141 in Uttar Pradesh and 126 in Maharashtra. In total, however, the number of deaths in judicial custody came down from 1,106 in 1998-99 to 916 in 1999-2000. 1