Maharashtra government informed the Supreme Court that it has acquired 15.33 acres for the new Bombay High Court building. The remaining land clearance is “actively underway.”
New Delhi: Today, on July 21, the Maharashtra government on Monday informed the Supreme Court that it had taken possession of 15.33 acres out of the total 17.45-acre land that was allotted for constructing the new Bombay High Court complex in Bandra, Mumbai.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justice K Vinod Chandran was updated by the state government that slums on the land had been cleared.
Only a small portion of land remains to be acquired. The court observed that the process of relocating the people living on the remaining part of the land is “actively underway” and is expected to be resolved soon.
Appearing for the Maharashtra government, Advocate General Birendra Saraf told the court that key steps such as the appointment of an architect, finalisation of the project plan, and approval of the required funds by the state’s high-power committee have already been completed.
He said the work has “progressed substantially.” The court accepted the submissions and scheduled the next hearing for October 27.
Earlier, on April 9, the Maharashtra government had told the Supreme Court that the second phase of land meant for the new high court complex would be handed over by April 30.
Of the 4.09 acres of land in this phase, 1.94 acres had already been handed over, and the remaining 2.15 acres would be transferred by the end of April.
In earlier phases, the state had handed over 4.39 acres of land in October 2024, and later, another 5.25 acres was also allotted.
The project is being monitored by the Supreme Court in a suo motu case titled
“Heritage Building of the Bombay High Court and allotment of additional lands for the High Court.”
On January 16 this year, the Maharashtra government had informed the Supreme Court that the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the new complex was already done on September 23, 2024.
Last year in October, the state government had assured that the total 30.16 acres of land required for the new high court building would be transferred in a phased manner.
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The current Bombay High Court is one of the oldest judicial institutions in India. It was founded on August 16, 1862, and has been functioning from its current heritage building near Flora Fountain in Mumbai since November 1878.
Due to the age of the structure and growing space needs, the state government and judiciary had proposed to build a new complex in Bandra.
The upcoming new high court complex in Bandra is planned to include well-designed and spacious courtrooms, judges’ chambers, offices for registry staff, a modern arbitration and mediation centre, an auditorium, a large library, and various other facilities for lawyers, litigants, and court personnel.
The Bombay High Court currently exercises jurisdiction over the state of Maharashtra through its main seat in Mumbai and benches in Nagpur, Aurangabad, and Goa.
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It also has jurisdiction over the Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu. The High Court has a sanctioned strength of 94 judges.
The Supreme Court had taken note of a letter petition dated April 29, 2024, submitted by Bombay Bar Association president Nitin Thakker and other senior members of the legal fraternity, who had expressed the urgent need for a new high court building due to space shortages and safety concerns in the existing 150-year-old structure.
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