Supreme Court notice to Centre, others on plea for renaming Bombay HC as Maharashtra HC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Centre on a plea for renaming the Bombay High Court as the Maharashtra High Court.

A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy issued notice to the Centre, Maharashtra and Goa governments and the Bombay High Court's registrar general on a petition filed by V K Patil, a retired judge, who wanted the government to take all measures for the protection of the rights of the people asserting their identity in the name of a public institution.

The petitioner, represented by advocate Shivaji M Jadhav, also sought a direction to the Centre to take effective steps in changing names of the other high courts in the country as per the states of their location.

In his plea, he contended that the court ought to appreciate that it has been long-standing demand of the people of Maharashtra to alter the name of Bombay HC as that of Maharashtra HC.

The petitioner said the change of name being a fundamental right of citizens, the court may step in to fill the vacuum in law by issuing directions under Article 142 of the Constitution to do complete justice.

The plea claimed the State Re-organisation Act, 1960 amended the first schedule of the Constitution as regards Maharashtra and Gujarat so it was arbitrary on the part of the government not to change the nomenclature of the High Court as per the State.

It further contended that the word 'Maharashtra' denotes special significance in the life of Maharashtrian and its significance must find its expression in the name of High Court as an expression of culture and right to heritage as protected under Articles 19, 21 and 29 of the Constitution.