Maharashtra govt tells SC next tranche of land for new HC building will be handed over by Dec

Supreme Court/ File pic

On Thursday, the Maharashtra government informed the Supreme Court that the next tranche of land for the Bombay High Court's new building complex in Mumbai's Bandra neighbourhood will be handed over by December.

The state government also notified a special bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justices B R Gavai, and JB Pardiwala that it has yet to obtain control of the Air India building in south Mumbai, where the Bombay High Court's mediation centre is scheduled to be relocated, reported PTI.

According to the report, the state administration stated that custody of 30.16 acres of land will be transferred to the high court in stages, with the first tranche of 4.39 acres already handed over.

The state government's Advocate General, Birendra Saraf, informed the court that the next tranche of land would be accessible by December.

The law officer further stated that a judges committee led by the chief justice of the Bombay High Court has scheduled the next meeting with state officials for November 12-13 to address issues.

He stated that expressions of interest have been received for the building project, and that a project meeting consultant is being selected.

The law officer further stated that a judges committee led by the HC chief justice has scheduled the next meeting with state officials for November 12-13 to address the issues.

On repairs to the PWD building, he stated that a structural audit was required.

The bench took note of his submissions, directed the state administration to file a new status report, and scheduled the hearing for the first week of January next year.

The bench was hearing a suo motu (on its own) matter called 'Heritage Building of the Bombay High Court and grant of extra lands for the High Court'.

The Bombay High Court, established on August 16, 1862, is now housed in a stately structure opposite Flora Fountain (Hutatma Chowk), which it has occupied since November 1878.

A new high court complex is proposed in Bandra, taking into account safety considerations as well as the need for greater room.

On September 25, the top court directed the state chief secretary to convene a meeting with the chief justice of the high court and other judges to decide on the redevelopment of a PWD and annexe buildings adjacent to the current iconic high court building in Mumbai in order to relocate some courtrooms and other facilities.

It had said till the time the new high court building comes up at Bandra, some of the facilities needed to be shifted to a PWD building adjacent to the present high court premises.

The bench was of the view that the annexe building of the high court, where some of the courts and other facilities are still there, needed urgent repairs as well.

The top court had also asked the state government to explore providing some space to the high court to set up its arbitration and mediation centre in the Air India building.

The CJI on September 23 laid the foundation stone of the Bombay High Court's new complex.

The groundbreaking ceremony of the new high court building was attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, deputy chief ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, senior Supreme Court judges and the HC Chief Justice.

The new HC complex will have well-designed and spacious court rooms, chambers for judges and registry personnel, an arbitration and mediation centre, an auditorium, library, and a host of features and amenities for staff, lawyers and litigants.

The Bombay High Court exercises jurisdiction over Maharashtra through the principal seat in Mumbai and benches at Nagpur and Aurangabad as well as Goa. It also exercises jurisdiction over the Union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

The high court has a sanctioned strength of 94 judges, with the current strength being 66 sitting judges.

The top court had taken note of an April 29 letter petition of Bombay Bar Association president Nitin Thakker and other bar leaders with respect to the urgent need of accommodation for the high court of judicature at Bombay whose existing building is 150 years old.

With PTI inputs