August 18, 2025: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud Gavai lauded the state government’s commitment to judicial infrastructure while inaugurating the new circuit bench of the Bombay High Court in Kolhapur on Sunday. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde were present at the event.
Addressing the gathering, CJI Gavai dismissed suggestions that the government had been slow in providing facilities for the judiciary. “Some remarks were made that the state government is behind in this regard. This is incorrect. The government has always supported the judiciary and, in fact, made the impossible possible by ensuring this bench was set up within a short span of time,” he said.
The Chief Justice added that those criticising the government’s efforts were unaware of the commitment shown by Mr Fadnavis and Mr Shinde. He stressed that his long-standing support for a bench in Kolhapur stemmed from the belief that ordinary citizens should not have to travel 380 km to Mumbai to seek justice.
While acknowledging requests for a bench in Pune, CJI Gavai clarified that such a demand had been raised only by a few lawyers and not by the wider public, making it unfeasible at present. The Kolhapur circuit bench, officially notified on 1 August by Chief Justice Alok Aradhe, will function from August 18 with one division bench and two single benches. It will have jurisdiction over six districts — Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.
The division bench, comprising Justices M S Karnik and Sharmila Deshmukh, will hear PILs, writ petitions, family court appeals, and civil and criminal matters. Single benches led by Justices S G Dige and S G Chapalgaonkar will hear criminal and civil cases respectively.
Source: Deccan Herald
