Bombay HC Gets New Bench In Kolhapur; To Go Functional From Aug 18

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court will establish a new bench at Kolhapur in western Maharashtra, the fourth in the state, Chief Justice Alok Aradhe announced on Friday.

According to the notification issued by the Chief Justice, the bench will start sittings from August 18. "I, Alok Aradhe, Chief Justice of the High Court at Bombay, with the approval of the Governor of Maharashtra, appoint Kolhapur as a place at which Judges and Division Courts of the High Court may also sit, with effect from August 18, 2025," the notification said.

Apart from the principal bench in Mumbai, the HC has two other benches in the states: Nagpur in eastern Maharashtra and Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar) in the central region of the state. A third bench sits in the adjoining Goa.

According to officials, a roster of the number of judges assigned to the Kolhapur bench, which is likely to cover half a dozen districts, will be prepared next week. Initially, the circuit bench is expected to function in a building opposite the Chhatrapati Pramila Raje Supreme Hospital (CPR) in Kolhapur.

The notification comes amid demands from various quarters over the years for a bench at Kolhapur so as to ease the burden on litigants and lawyers who have to travel to Mumbai, around 380km away, for the hearing of their pleas.

Various lawyer associations, parties and social organisations have been demanding the establishment of this Circuit Bench. Chief Justice of India B R Gavai had also supported the demands for an HC bench at Kolhapur. The new bench is likely to have jurisdiction over six districts - Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Kolhapur, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg (last two located in the coastal Konkan region).

Welcoming the decision, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also handles the law and judiciary portfolio, posted the notification published in an official gazette on the social media platform X. Terming it a historic development, he wrote," It was a long-standing demand of the people, and I had been pursuing it consistently. I am extremely delighted it has now succeeded."

"This will make justice more accessible and efficient, while saving citizens' time, effort, and money," he added. Dhananjay Mahadik MP said that the new bench is a big gift for the people of Kolhapur from the Mahayuti government and the CJI.

Legislative Party Leader of the Congress in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, Satej Patil, also welcomed the decision. "The struggle of Kolhapur residents has finally found success. The new HC is a matter of pride for Western Maharashtra," he said.

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