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Synopsis

The Maharashtra government has requested the Registrar of the Bombay High Court to assign a representative to take early possession of a 30-acre land in the suburbs of Mumbai for the construction of a new high court complex.

On May 25, 2023, the state's revenue department had communicated this request to the Bombay High Court.

The communication notified the registrar that the revenue department had issued a communication requesting the high court to appoint a representative to take advance possession of 30 acres of land in Bandra East. 

This information was presented before the court in response to a contempt petition filed against state government authorities for their failure to comply with a 2019 high court order concerning land allocation.

The May 25th communication was submitted before the court today by Advocate General Birendra Saraf and was taken on record by the division bench of Acting Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Sandeep V Marne which was hearing a PIL filed by one Ahmed Abdi which although had been disposed of, but it had been posted for another hearing for compliance. 

On March 30, 2023, the Maharashtra government informed the Bombay High Court that it will allocate 30.16 acres of land in Bandra for construction of a new high court building.

Advocate General Dr. Birendra Saraf had earlier told the court that a formal government resolution (GR) on the matter would be issued soon and that a memorandum had already been signed with the public works department (PWD).

Through his plea, petitioner Ahmed Abdi sought action against State government authorities for non-compliance with a 2019 high court order on the land allotment.

Abdi had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) petition in 2012 seeking a new building for the high court on a priority basis. The high court had then directed the State government to offer a large and convenient plot of land for the construction of a new complex for the high court.

However, since the order of 2019, the State government had not taken any steps toward the same. Abdi claimed that the State was in contempt of the high court's order.

During one of the earlier hearings on March 9, 2023, the court asked the State to decide on the land allotment soon. The contempt petition was dismissed by the court after the government's announcement, but Abdi was granted permission to file a fresh plea if the State failed to take further action.

Case title: Ahmad Abdi vs State of Maharashtra