Decks cleared, land in Bandra (East) for Bombay HC complex soon: Maharashtra CM Shinde

Chief Justice (CJ) of Bombay High Court Dipankar Datta, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, former Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, advocate general Ashutosh Kumbhakoni, along with former judges of the high court and the Supreme Court attended the event.

Notably, the programme was scheduled to be held on September 11 but was postponed as all government events were cancelled on the said day owing to the State mourning following the demise of Queen Elizabeth II.

Chief Minister Shinde said: “Whenever issues related to new courts, materials required for the same or new judicial posts come before us during Cabinet meetings, we thoroughly discuss them. And we, as a government, have been following the suggestions made by the HC and CJ Datta without wasting any time. Ultimately, the government also shares the sentiment for transparency in adjudication and speedy disposal of cases in the interest of the common people… meetings took place over the land (for the new HC complex) near Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) and the same is really needed. We have taken the decision as per the suggestions and it will benefit the common people.”

Deputy CM Fadnavis, who is also the law and judiciary minister, said that the state government has decided to “boost the court infrastructure” and a long-pending concern raised by CJ Datta about the new high court complex has been almost resolved.

“We have been fulfilling demands made by the HC pertaining to court infrastructure… CJ Datta had made continuous efforts to have the Bombay HC complex in Bandra. I am glad to tell him that we have resolved all things as per his wish and further steps (to allot land) will soon be taken in the coming times, the HC will get a well-equipped new complex. The present HC building (situated in the Fort area) is beautiful but it is insufficient…” Fadnavis said.

On October 24,The Indian Express reported that the Maharashtra government was planning to grant 30 acres of land at the government residential colony in Bandra (East) for the new Bombay High Court complex. According to a senior state government official, the decision was taken in a meeting between Dipankar Datta, the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde held in the last week of August.

On September 10, Justice Abhay S Oka, Supreme Court judge and former judge of the Bombay High Court, during an event organised by the high court to felicitate CJI UU Lalit, had told Chief Minister Shinde that instead of honouring the country’s topmost judge with bouquets and mementos, the Maharashtra government should allocate land for the new Bombay HC complex, remarking that such a move would be CJI Lalit’s “actual felicitation”. Justice Oka had also said that the state government should invite CJI Lalit for bhoomi poojan of the land before his tenure ends on November 8.

The principal seat of the Bombay High Court, located between Flora Fountain and Churchgate in a Gothic-style stone building constructed in 1878, was added to the list of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites in 2018.

Meanwhile, CM Shinde called CJI Lalit “son of Solapur and Konkan and pride of Maharashtra”.

Koshyari said he was ‘fortunate’ as a governor to have felicitated two CJIs (Lalit and former CJI SA Bobade) and two Chiefs of Army Staff (Manoj Pande and former CoAS Manoj Naravane) hailing from Maharashtra in the last three years, adding that he will soon get an opportunity to felicitate next CJI DY Chandrachud, who also has his roots in Maharashtra. The governor added that the use of the mother tongue/regional language should be increased in court proceedings as the same will help the common people to understand the judicial process.

In his response, CJI Lalit said that he is “proud to be a son of Maharashtra” and was overwhelmed by the felicitation given to him on behalf of the people of the state. He added that even after retirement, he will continue to contribute to the justice system as and when his assistance is required.