Chief Justice of India (CJI) B. R. Gavai inaugurated the Bombay High Court's fourth circuit bench in Kolhapur on Sunday, August 17, 2025. The inauguration marks a significant step towards improving access to justice for residents of western Maharashtra and the Konkan region.
The new circuit bench is located opposite Chhatrapati Pramila Raje Hospital in the Town Hall area. The inaugural ceremony took place at 3:30 PM at the Mery Weather Ground and was attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. High Court senior justice Makarand Karnik also presided over the function. The Kolhapur District Bar Association announced that the circuit bench would begin functioning on August 18, 2025, at 11:00 AM.
The establishment of the Kolhapur bench aims to reduce the burden on the principal bench in Mumbai and provide more convenient and efficient access to the legal system for litigants in Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg districts. Previously, residents of these districts had to travel to Mumbai for court proceedings, incurring significant costs and time. The new bench is expected to expedite case resolutions and bring "justice at your doorstep".
The Bombay High Court has released the official sitting list for the Kolhapur Circuit Bench, which includes one division bench and two single-judge benches. Justice M.S. Karnik, currently posted in Mumbai, will preside over the division bench along with Justice Sharmila Deshmukh. Justice Shivkumar Dige and Justice S.G. Chapalgaonkar will lead the single-judge benches.
The division bench will handle Public Interest Litigation petitions, civil writ petitions, first appeals, family court appeals, contempt appeals, and other civil and criminal cases within its jurisdiction. Justice Dige’s single bench will focus on criminal appeals, criminal revision applications, and bail pleas. Justice Chapalgaonkar's single bench will handle civil writ petitions, civil applications, and other civil matters within the single-judge domain.
The inauguration of the Kolhapur Circuit Bench has been widely anticipated and is expected to significantly benefit the region by ensuring more accessible, timely, and efficient justice for the people of western Maharashtra.
