The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Maharashtra government to issue an order by September 7 for the transfer of land at the Bandra-Kurla Complex to the Bombay High Court for the construction of its new building.
In the suo motu case titled ‘Heritage Building of the Bombay High Court and Allotment of Additional Lands for the High Court,’ the court also instructed the state government to pass another order declaring the high court building’s project as “vital” to prevent any delays due to the enforcement of the model code of conduct for the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra.
A special bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices B R Gavai and J B Pardiwala also directed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, to coordinate with the chairperson of the Bank of India regarding the transfer of a portion of a building in Mumbai for relocating some high court facilities.
At the start of the proceedings, the bench inquired about the progress made in the case. Advocate General of Maharashtra, Birendra Saraf, reported significant progress, stating that the state government was taking steps to transfer the land to the high court, with the first phase expected to be completed by September 10.
The bench emphasized the need to expedite repair work on the alternative premises at the CPO complex and the Bank of India building to facilitate their use by the high court. The Solicitor General assured that the Centre would provide prompt support.
The bench also stated that once possession of the alternative premises is transferred to the high court, the government should quickly release funds to modify the premises as needed.
Earlier, on July 15, the state government had committed to transferring 4.39 acres of land to the high court by September 10 for the construction of a new building. The Supreme Court, acting on its own initiative, had taken note of a letter petition dated April 29 from Bombay Bar Association president Nitin Thakker and other bar leaders regarding the urgent need for new accommodation for the High Court of Judicature at Bombay, whose existing building is 150 years old.
The bench was informed that the remaining 30.46 acres would also be handed over to the high court within a specified timeframe. It was reported that on July 8, 2024, an internal meeting was held by the Chief Justice of the High Court with the Judges Committee overseeing the construction. Another meeting with all stakeholders, including government officials, was held on July 9, 2024.
The bench noted that the Maharashtra government has shortlisted eight architects for finalizing the design plans and directed that a meeting be convened with these architects to discuss the high court’s requirements before they present their proposals to the state government.
It was also noted that the high court had approved the Maharashtra government’s proposal for land at Bandra East in Mumbai, though some portions of the land were occupied by government housing colonies.
