The newly constructed magistrate court building in Mira Road has been lying idle for the past ten months, despite being completed in November of the previous year. This delay is exacerbating an ongoing issue of space constraints and infrastructural deficiencies faced by court buildings throughout the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
The three-storey building, situated on a 4,200 square metre plot at Hatkesh, Mira Road, was constructed over a decade. During this time, it has been a long-standing demand from local lawyers and litigants who have been forced to travel to Thane for court hearings, a journey of approximately 20 kilometres. This inconvenience has led to significant delays and frustrations among legal professionals and residents alike. “The roads from Thane to Mira Road are in poor condition, and the commute often takes over two hours. This results in delays and adjournments which adversely impact our clients,” noted the Secretary of the Mira Bhayandar Advocates Association. Advocates have also highlighted that frequently, they are unable to make it to court due to the lengthy travel time, causing additional delays in justice delivery.
Moreover, the delay in operationalising the court has repercussions for the timely production of accused individuals post-arrest. Under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (previously the Code of Criminal Procedure), arrested individuals must be presented before a judicial magistrate within 24 hours. However, the extended travel time to Thane has made adherence to this legal requirement challenging. According to sources within the legal community, the main bottleneck lies in the budget allocation process. The file related to the magistrate court has been pending in the law and judiciary department, awaiting clearance and budget approval from the finance department for staff recruitment and the provision of necessary equipment. “The delay in fund allocation has stalled the commencement of court operations,” explained a lawyer from Mira Bhayandar.
The Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation approved the building plans in 2013, and construction commenced in 2014. Despite receiving a completion certificate last November, the court remains non-operational. With seven police stations under the Mira Bhayandar jurisdiction, the new court could handle approximately 50% of Thane’s caseload, including around 3,000 criminal cases and 1,000 civil suits annually. The local legal community remains sceptical about the court becoming operational anytime soon. “If there was genuine intent to activate this court, it would have happened by now,” said an advocate. The frustration is palpable as the delay continues, with no clear timeline for when the court will finally start serving the public.
