Kolhapur circuit bench of Bombay High Court to get 75 acres, 495 permanent staff

The Maharashtra Government has sanctioned 75 acres of land at Shenda Park in Kolhapur and created 495 permanent staff positions for the circuit bench of the Bombay High Court at Kolhapur. 

This announcement was made during the foundation day celebration of the Kolhapur bench which was established a year ago.

Acting Chief Justice of Bombay High Court, Ravindra V Ghuge, highlighted the administrative push behind the land allocation. He recounted a conversation he had with Chief Minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis during a high level meeting. 

“I asked the CM ‘if slightly more land can be sanctioned for Kolhapur, this issue will be settled permanently, eliminating the need to request additional land in the future.' The Chief Minister showed great generosity. 75 acres of land has been officially transferred on paper to the Bench. Further, 495 permanent staff positions are being created specifically for the Kolhapur High Court Bench," the judge said.

The Kolhapur bench was established under Section 51 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, which permits additional sittings of High Courts with approval from State and Governor.

It emerged from decades of persistent advocacy by lawyers and litigants from six western Maharashtra districts: Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, Solapur, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.

Kolhapur was chosen after a detailed study by former Bombay High Court Chief Justice Mohit Shah, who found that it could serve six districts, covering more than half the area under the principal seat, with over 50 talukas located 300 to 500 km from Mumbai.

On August 1, then Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court Justice Alok Aradhe issued a notification to constitute the circuit bench at Kolhapur.

The bench was inaugurated on August 17, 2025.

Former Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, acting Chief Justice of Bombay High Court Ravindra V Ghuge, several senior judges of the High Court, the Advocate General Milind Sathe and Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh were in attendance to mark the foundation day.

Former CJI Gavai assured the Bar and litigants that the circuit bench's transition into a permanent bench is now a certainty.

“I refuse to call this a mere circuit bench. It is a full-fledged bench in practice, and its formal permanent status is only a matter of time. It is an established reality carved in stone, and I assure you that no power can stop Kolhapur from having a permanent High Court Bench,” he said. 

He said the bench has brought justice to the doorstep of citizens across the six regional districts.

“If a small landholder from Ratnagiri or Solapur's border region must travel all the way to Mumbai, spending thousands on legal fees and lodging just to fight for half an acre of land, we must question whether true socio-economic justice is being served. The Kolhapur Bench bridges this gap,” the judge said. 

Justice Gavai also said a proposal to expand the Bombay High Court’s sanctioned judge strength from 94 to 114 is under consideration and that will ensure there are more judges at the Kolhapur bench.

He also flagged the concerns raised by advocates regarding revenue and tribunal matters which require them to travel to Pune or Mumbai. 

“In this era of decentralisation, justice must reach every taluka. Having a single Divisional Commissioner's office for such a vast region is inadequate,” the judge said. 

He urged the Cabinet minister and Kolhapur guardian minister Prakash Ambitkar to champion the establishment of a divisional commissionerate and administrative tribunals in Kolhapur.

Justice MS Karnik of Bombay High Court, who was the senior most judge when the bench was established, recounted the swift executive and judicial coordination that enabled the establishment of the bench within a month.

He highlighted the dedication of both the bench and the local bar. He shared an anecdote illustrating the commitment of senior practitioners to the new seat.

“Senior advocate KA Kapse approached me and said, ‘Treat me just as you would treat a junior advocate, because I want to learn. We don't want the circuit bench to become just a glorified district court; we want to build it as a true High Court.'Seeing his determination, I knew the Kolhapur Circuit Bench would be 100 percent successful," the judge said. 

Justice Sharmila Deshmukh, the current senior most judge at the Kolhapur bench, emphasised how the bench has operationalised the constitutional ideal of access to justice. 

“The setting up of this circuit bench is giving life to the ideal 'Justice for All'. The fact that there are almost 15,000 cases which were instituted in the last one year out of which almost 13,000 have been disposed off makes it evident that his vision for justice for all has assumed shape," the judge said.