Will hand over next tranche of 5.25 acres land for new Bombay HC building by Jan 31: Maha to SC

New Delhi, Jan 16 (PTI) The Maharashtra government on Thursday told the Supreme Court that it will hand over the next tranche of 5.25 acres of land by January 31 for the construction of the Bombay High Court's new building complex in Mumbai's Bandra region.

The state government told a bench headed by Justice B R Gavai that in the first tranche, 4.39 acres of land was handed over to the high court in October 2024 and the possession of the second tranche of 5.25 acres was to be handed over by the end of December 2024.

Maharashtra's advocate general Birendra Saraf told the bench that effective steps have been taken for handing over the 5.25 acres of land and encroachments have been removed.

"All encroachments have been removed. We are seeking time till January 31 and this land, which was due to be handed over by December 31, will be handed over," Saraf told the bench, which also comprised Justices Augustine George Masih and K Vinod Chandran.

The advocate general said steps have also been taken for the appointment of a project management consultant.

He said the chief justice of the Bombay High Court has conveyed a meeting on Thursday evening for considering and reviewing the progress of the project.

The bench noted in its order that the state has placed on record a chart that depicted the progress of handing over the land in a phased manner.

It also noted that the advocate general has informed the apex court that the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the building was done on September 23, 2024.

"We appreciate the proactive role played by the state in ensuring that the construction of the building starts at the earliest...," the bench said.

One of the advocates appearing in the matter referred to the issue relating to the Air India building in south Mumbai where the mediation centre of the Bombay High Court is proposed to be shifted.

"This is not an adversarial litigation. Everybody can sit together and sort the things out," the bench said and posted the matter for further hearing in April.

On October 24 last year, the state government told the top court that it would hand over the next tranche of land by December for construction of the high court's new building complex.

The state government had said that the possession of 30.16 acres of land would be handed over to the high court in a phased manner.

The bench was hearing a suo motu (on its own) case titled 'Heritage Building of the Bombay High Court and allotment of additional lands for the High Court'.

The Bombay High Court, founded on August 16, 1862, is currently located in a majestic building near Flora Fountain (Hutatma Chowk) that the court has occupied since November 1878.

Keeping in mind the safety concerns and the need for more space, a new high court complex is proposed at Bandra.

The new high court complex will have well-designed and spacious courtrooms, chambers for judges and registry personnel, an arbitration and mediation centre, an auditorium, a 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.

The top court had taken note of an April 29, 2024, letter petition of Bombay Bar Association president Nitin Thakker and other bar leaders with respect to the urgent need for accommodation for the high court of judicature in Bombay whose existing building is 150 years old. PTI ABA RHL