The Bombay High Court’s fifth bench has been inaugurated at Kolhapur by CJI Bhushan Gavai, fulfilling a 20-year demand to ease access to justice for litigants across six districts in western Maharashtra.
The Bombay High Court has officially set up its fifth bench in Kolhapur, western Maharashtra. The new bench was inaugurated by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan Gavai on Sunday, marking a significant step toward improving access to justice in the state.
Until now, the Bombay High Court had four benches:
- Mumbai (Principal Seat)
- Nagpur
- Aurangabad
- Goa
With Kolhapur added to the list, people in southern Maharashtra will now have faster and easier access to legal remedies.
CJI Inaugurating Kolhapur Bench of Bombay High Court
Why Was a Bench Needed in Kolhapur?
For more than 20 years, lawyers and litigants from Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Kolhapur, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg districts had been demanding a High Court bench in Kolhapur.
Earlier, people from these districts had to travel all the way to Mumbai for their cases. This meant higher expenses and longer delays in legal proceedings.
With the Kolhapur bench now operational, litigants from these six districts can approach the High Court closer to their homes, making the justice system more efficient and accessible.
Key Highlights of the Inauguration
- The official notification declaring Kolhapur as a circuit bench was issued on August 1 by Bombay High Court Chief Justice Alok Aradhe.
- Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde attended the inauguration ceremony.
- Justice Shivkumar Dige, earlier serving at the Mumbai Principal Seat, has been appointed as the single judge to preside over the Kolhapur bench.
Inaugural Ceremony and Key Dignitaries
Inaugural Ceremony and Key Dignitaries
The inauguration was attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, and several other dignitaries.
At the event, Justice Shivkumar Dige, previously posted at the Mumbai Principal Seat, officially took charge as the presiding single judge at the Kolhapur bench. His courtroom session marked the beginning of a new chapter in Maharashtra’s judicial history.
A Step Towards Accessible Justice
The establishment of the Kolhapur bench reflects the judiciary’s commitment to decentralising legal access. It ensures that the justice delivery system becomes more efficient and citizen-friendly.
This move is expected to benefit thousands of litigants across the six districts, significantly reducing travel time and costs for accessing the High Court.
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