Bombay High Court's Circuit Bench to Begin Functioning in Kolhapur

There is great news for the citizens of Kolhapur and western Maharashtra. After 40 years of efforts, it has been officially announced that a circuit bench of the Mumbai High Court will be established in Kolhapur. This bench will be operational from August 18, 2025, and the government has issued a notification regarding this. Citizens of the six districts of Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, and Solapur will greatly benefit from this. Until now, parties had to travel to Mumbai for thousands of pending cases. Now, justice will be available locally, saving time, money, and effort.

Citizens of Western Maharashtra have to travel far to Mumbai for High Court proceedings. This results in delays in the judicial process and increased costs. The circuit bench will eliminate the need to cover this distance and make the judicial process faster. Currently, operations are set to begin in the building opposite Chhatrapati Pramila Raje Hospital, and necessary repair work is in progress. In the next phase, there is consideration for establishing an independent court complex.

This decision was consistently supported by the District Bar Association, various lawyer organizations, social activists, and public representatives. It was due to the collective struggle of the citizens that this historic announcement was finally possible. During the British era, the sessions court and high court were operational in Kolhapur. However, they were closed after independence. Since then, there has been a demand for the reinstatement of this court for the past four decades. Now that demand has been realized.

After this historic development, there is a festive atmosphere in Kolhapur city and its surroundings. The decision to start the Mumbai High Court's circuit bench in Kolhapur is not only significant for the judicial system but also marks a turning point for millions of citizens across six districts. The path to obtaining justice will now become easier and faster.