Mumbai: In a landmark development for western Maharashtra, the state government on Friday issued a notification announcing the establishment of a fourth bench of the Bombay High Court in Kolhapur. The circuit bench will become operational from August 18, 2025, following the appointment of judges by the High Court.
A circuit bench of the Bombay High Court, operates with judges temporarily assigned from the principal seat in Mumbai and other benches, sitting on designated days to hear cases.
The bench will provide significant assistance in making the administration of justice more efficient. Moreover, it will also save the time, effort, and money of the citizens. The bench will cater to the districts of Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg, benefiting citizens who had struggled for many years for this facility.
The order, signed by chief justice Alok Aradhe and issued with the approval of the Governor of Maharashtra, states, “In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (3) of section 51 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, and all other powers enabling me in this behalf… I appoint Kolhapur as a place at which Judges and Division Courts of the High Court may also sit, with effect from August 18, 2025.”
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis welcomed the move, calling it a “long-pending demand” from the region.
“The High Court has approved the establishment of a judicial circuit bench in Kolhapur, which will cater to six districts . This will significantly ease the burden on litigants by saving them time, money and effort,” he said.
Currently, the Bombay High Court operates from its principal seat in Mumbai, with three additional benches — in Nagpur, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (formerly Aurangabad), and Goa.
For over two decades, residents and lawyers from western Maharashtra and parts of the Konkan region have been demanding a dedicated bench, citing the hardship of travelling to Mumbai for court proceedings.
“This is a historic moment. Justice will now be delivered at the doorstep of people in the region,” said senior advocate Rajiv Chavan, former president of the Advocates Association of Western India.