In a landmark move aimed at decentralizing judicial access, the Chief Justice of India Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai has officially inaugurated the new circuit bench of the Bombay High Court in Kolhapur today.The ceremony took place opposite the CPR Hospital, followed by an inaugural address at Merryweather Ground .
The establishment of this bench, the fifth under the Bombay High Court system, marks a long-standing demand spanning over two decades by legal practitioners and citizens of Western Maharashtra and the Konkan region.
With jurisdiction over six districts—Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, Solapur, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg—the bench is poised to significantly reduce the burden on existing seats in Mumbai, Nagpur, Aurangabad, and Goa.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar were among the dignitaries present, along with other senior judicial and administrative officials.
Speaking at the event, CM Fadnavis praised the initiative and expressed his government’s readiness to introduce legislation enhancing the safety of advocates, calling the inauguration a “historic development” for regional justice delivery.
Meanwhile, the legal fraternity has already begun preparing: nearly 250 advocates and over a hundred staff are expected to shift to Kolhapur ahead of the bench’s full operations beginning August 18 . Lawyers and authorities continue to rally around this development, anticipating not just judicial efficiency but also long-term economic and infrastructural upliftment of the region.
This inauguration underscores a major stride in the quest for equitable, decentralized judicial infrastructure in India’s western corridor.