Pune Lawyers’ Demand for HC Bench Put on Hold; CJI Suggests Linking Pune to Kolhapur Bench

Pune/Kolhapur, 18th August 2025: The long-pending demand of Pune’s legal fraternity for a circuit bench of the Bombay High Court in the city has hit a roadblock, with Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan Gavai making it clear that the immediate focus will remain on strengthening the newly inaugurated Kolhapur circuit bench.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Kolhapur bench on Sunday, CJI Gavai revealed that a delegation of Pune lawyers had recently urged him to support their demand. “They asked for my backing on setting up a bench in Pune. I told them I would neither oppose nor advocate their cause. My responsibility is to think of the people and not just the lawyers. Justice must first reach the common man,” he said.

Instead of committing to Pune, the CJI suggested that the state government should work on improving expressway connectivity between Pune, Kolhapur, and Baramati, enabling litigants from Pune to access the Kolhapur bench more conveniently.

Push for Permanent Bench at Kolhapur
CJI Gavai also directed the Bombay High Court to submit a proposal at the earliest to convert the Kolhapur circuit bench into a permanent bench. “I still have three-and-a-half months left in office, and I want to use this time to push forward essential reforms in the judicial system,” said Gavai, who retires on November 23.

Highlighting his efforts since taking charge on May 14, he noted that 50 judges had already been appointed to high courts across India during his short tenure.

Impact on Pune Litigants
The decision has disappointed several Pune-based lawyers, who have argued that the city, with its growing population and legal fraternity of over 5,000 advocates, deserves its own bench. For litigants, however, the immediate outcome means they will continue to depend on either Mumbai or Kolhapur for cases requiring high court jurisdiction.

The CJI countered this sentiment by stressing that the Kolhapur bench directly benefits litigants from six districts — Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Kolhapur, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg. “These citizens no longer need to spend time and money traveling all the way to Mumbai to seek justice. This is true decentralisation of the judicial system,” he said.

He also pointed out that the new bench could open opportunities for young lawyers from western Maharashtra. “Aurangabad faced similar doubts when its bench was set up, but it has since produced judges for both the High Court and the Supreme Court. I am confident Kolhapur will follow a similar path,” Gavai remarked, adding that nearly 200 lawyers practising in Mumbai may return to Kolhapur.

Appeal for Infrastructure and Growth
CJI Gavai urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde to allocate land in Kolhapur for a lawyers’ hostel, supporting younger members of the profession.

He also praised Maharashtra’s judicial infrastructure, citing the renovation of the Kolhapur bench building — once the court of the princely state of Kolhapur under Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj — as proof that the state was keeping pace with national standards. “The restoration was completed in just three to four weeks. This shows Maharashtra is not behind any other state in terms of infrastructure,” he said.

Tributes and Judicial Voices
At the event, CJI Gavai paid homage to Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj for his reformist vision and his influence on Dr B.R. Ambedkar, architect of the Indian Constitution.

Bombay High Court Chief Justice Alok Aradhe underlined the significance of the new bench. “It will uphold the prestige and sanctity of the Bombay High Court, while ensuring justice reaches the doorstep of litigants,” he said.

Justice M.S. Karnik, administrative judge of the Kolhapur circuit bench, described the development as “not just a geographical need, but also a step toward social justice.”

Senior judges from Nagpur, Aurangabad, and Panaji benches, ministers, and elected representatives from the six districts also attended the ceremony.