Key Highlights:
- Kolhapur gets Bombay High Court’s fourth bench, inaugurated on 18 August
- Cases from Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Kolhapur, Ratnagiri & Sindhudurg to be heard locally
- No more 400 km travel to Mumbai for justice in western Maharashtra
- Bench inaugurated by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai
- Division bench & two single benches to start functioning from today
Kolhapur: In a landmark step towards accessible and speedy justice, the fourth bench of the Bombay High Court officially began functioning in Kolhapur from 18 August, 2025. This long-awaited move ensures that people of Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg will no longer have to travel nearly 400 km to Mumbai for court hearings.
The new bench was formally inaugurated on Sunday by Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai, in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, and several cabinet ministers. Thousands of lawyers and litigants welcomed the development as a historic milestone for western Maharashtra.
Leaders and Dignitaries Present
The inauguration ceremony saw participation from top judicial and political leaders. Among those present were Bombay High Court Chief Justice Alok Aradhe, Ministers Chandrakant Patil, Nitesh Rane, Uday Samant, Prakash Abitkar, Kolhapur MP Dhairyasheel Mane, as well as senior judges of the Bombay High Court.
Functioning of the Kolhapur Bench
The Kolhapur bench will initially operate with one division bench and two single benches:
- Division Bench: Justice MS Karnik and Justice Sharmila Deshmukh
- Single Benches: Justice SG Dige and Justice SG Chapalgaonkar
This arrangement will ensure that a wide variety of matters, including civil, criminal, and writ petitions, can be heard in Kolhapur itself, greatly reducing travel and procedural delays for litigants.
Years-Long Demand Finally Fulfilled
The demand for a separate High Court bench in Kolhapur has been raised for decades by lawyers’ associations and public representatives from western Maharashtra. With this new bench, the Bombay High Court now has four functioning benches:
- Mumbai (Principal Bench)
- Nagpur
- Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar)
- Kolhapur (newest)
Apart from this, the High Court also functions in Goa as a designated bench to handle local cases.
Why This Matters
This historic step is being seen as a huge relief for lakhs of citizens, especially in terms of saving time, travel costs, and case pendency pressure. Legal experts believe that the Kolhapur bench will significantly reduce case congestion in Mumbai, delivering speedier justice for the people of Maharashtra.
