An advocate has knocked at the doors of the Bombay High court, seeking that the government be directed to expedite construction of the Mazgaon court building which was declared dilapidated last July and subsequently vacated.
Kantilal Sangoi, 59, ex-president of the Mazgaon Courts Bar Association, has filed the petition, highlighting the hardships being faced by lawyers and litigants with the Mazgaon courts being shifted to Sewree court building, which is ill-equipped to handle the additional work.
The high court has directed the government to file its reply and the petition is kept for hearing next week. The five-storey Mazgaon court building was vacated in July, 2013, after being declared dilapidated. The building was inaugurated in 1997 by the then Chief Minister Manohar Joshi and the then chief justice of the high court MB Shah.
There were 13 courts in the Mazgaon building covering several police stations such as Pydhonie, Dongri, JJ Marg, Nagpada, Agripada and Kalachowki.
According to Sangoi's petition, filed through advocate Avinash Gokhale, the courtrooms in Sewree are small and also there are no library, court stationery etcetera in the building. "Not only the members of Mazgaon Courts Bar Association but also advocates from other courts who visit the said courts occasionally suffer great hardship," reads his petition.
Sangoi's advocate Gokhale said the Mazgaon Courts Bar Association had made a representation to the PWD minister, requesting him to expedite the reconstruction of the Mazgaon court building. However, they did not receive any positive reply.
Sangoi has also attached a copy of the structural audit report, which states "the strength of the concrete samples not up to the mark". This shows careless attitude of the government, which is responsible for maintaining government buildings in structurally sound and stable condition.
Seeking disciplinary action against the principal secretary (roads and construction), chief architect (Mantralaya) and the chief engineer (PWD), the petition states that they are guilty of dereliction of duty.
In his petition, Sangoi has also prayed that the Mazgaon court be temporarily shifted to the Gokuldas Tejpal Hospital Building premises, next to the police commissioner's office in South Mumbai where there is higher transport connectivity.
