The move follows structural audit by IIT-Bombay on the load-bearing capacity of the heritage structure
Diagnosed with overweight, the Bombay High Court will soon be shedding some of its kilos to keep its heritage structure in good health and to avert any untoward incident.
Know how? The court will be moving up to 35 tonnes of files, kept on the third floor of the historic building, to the ground floor or to a nearby building. The grade-one heritage structure was built in 1878, and recently a portion of its ceiling had come crashing, leaving a huge cavity on the third floor hall of the Bombay Bar Association.
A structural audit was then commissioned with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-Bombay) roped in to affirm if the load-bearing capacity of the building has been affected. The report, which came in June, strongly recommended removing the loads of files from the third floor.
Protonotary DV Sawant confirmed receiving the report and said, "Work on moving the files would begin in the coming days. Initially, the writ cell will be moved to the CTO building, where high court has been allotted space. This will be followed by shifting of the advocates' bar room."
The high court will be celebrating its 154th year on August 14. The move to shift the files is significant because already talks to shift the high court to suburbs are gaining momentum and the government has in principle agreed to allot land for housing the new building in Bandra East.
However, a section of lawyers are opposing the move. Advocate Rajan Jaykar, who helped High Court have its own museum, has demanded better utilisation of space in the present building rather than shifting the court to help continue the rich heritage and ethos that the building stands for.
Advocate Ahmed Abdi, who has moved a public interest litigation (PIL) to shift the high court from Fort to suburbs, argues that the present building is unable to house judges, advocates and litigants properly. Ever increasing litigation has ensured that files are kept in court rooms and basic facilities are not available to everyone.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Bombay High Court")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}