The Bombay High Court has recently granted the Maharashtra government permission to access the disputed ‘Jay Stambh’ land in Pune for 2 weeks, ahead of the 207th anniversary of the historic Koregaon Bhima battle.
The victory pillar (Jay Stambh), located in Perne village, marks the site of the 1818 battle between the British East India Company and the Maratha Confederacy’s Peshwa faction.
The court’s order, issued on December 6, allows the state government to make necessary arrangements for the commemorative event from midnight of December 22, 2024, until January 5, 2025. Additionally, the government has been permitted to allow public access to the site from midnight of December 31, 2024, until January 5, 2025.
This annual arrangement is part of an ongoing legal dispute over the ownership of the land, where a court order has instructed that the status quo be maintained. Consequently, the state must seek the court’s permission every year to make arrangements for the event.
The court’s bench, led by Justice S M Modak, noted that such permissions have been granted in the past and that all parties involved have agreed to the same terms for this year’s event. The court emphasized that after January 5, 2025, the government must vacate the site and restore it to its original state.
The Koregaon Bhima battle anniversary has become a significant occasion, with lakhs of people gathering at the Jay Stambh to pay tribute.
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