Bombay HC Gets Fourth Bench at Kolhapur
Sittings to Begin from August 18; Move Hailed as "Historic" by CM Fadnavis.
- The Bombay High Court will establish a new bench in Kolhapur, its fourth in Maharashtra, with sittings to begin on August 18.
- A notification confirming the decision was issued by Chief Justice Alok Aradhe with the approval of the Maharashtra Governor.
- The new bench will cover six districts: Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Kolhapur, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg.
GG News Bureau
Mumbai, 2nd Aug: The Bombay High Court is set to open a new bench in Kolhapur, making it the fourth such bench in Maharashtra. The new bench, which will bring justice closer to the people of western Maharashtra and the Konkan region, will commence its sittings from August 18.
A notification confirming the new bench was issued on Friday by High Court Chief Justice Alok Aradhe, with the approval of the Governor of Maharashtra. The new bench is expected to have jurisdiction over six districts: Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Kolhapur, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg.
The establishment of the Kolhapur bench is a fulfillment of a long-standing demand aimed at providing relief to litigants and lawyers who currently have to travel to Mumbai, a distance of approximately 380 km, for hearings.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis hailed the decision as a “historic development” and expressed his delight on social media. He noted that the matter had been under active consideration since the beginning of his tenure and thanked both Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and High Court Chief Justice Aradhe for their support. Fadnavis stated that the new bench will make justice “more accessible and efficient, while saving citizens’ time, effort, and money.”
Currently, the Bombay High Court has principal benches in Mumbai, Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar), Nagpur, and a third bench in Goa. The specific roster of judges for the new Kolhapur bench will be prepared in the coming week.
