Building Pune: Finally, Pimpri-Chinchwad gets a new spacious court building with 11 courtrooms, adequate parking facility

The Pimpri court, as it is known, currently functions in the Morwadi area. The building space in Morwadi is limited and only five judicial first-class magistrates function from there. As a result, citizens have to make it to courts in Shivajinagar to fight their cases.

“The new three-storeyed building was to be inaugurated on May 5, but for some reason, it got postponed. It will soon be inaugurated after a date is finalised. It may happen this month,” Joint Municipal Commissioner Chandrakant Indalkar told The Indian Express.

Indalkar said the new court building is set up on about one acre of land and is exactly opposite to the Annasaheb Magar Stadium, which is currently under renovation in the Nehrunagar area. “The building has all the facilities that the advocates and judges demanded. It has ample parking space both for two-wheelers and four-wheelers. And has separate bar rooms both for male and female advocates,” he said.

Expressing relief, Narayan Rasal, president of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Advocates Bar Association, said, “The earlier building, which was also constructed by the PCMC, came up in 1989 in the Morwadi area. However, it had become old and dilapidated. The minimal space made it increasingly difficult for courts to function smoothly. There was no space for parking and no temporary jail facility to keep the accused till their case hearing was over. There was one deficiency too many in the Morwadi court. And therefore, for years, we had been demanding that a new court building with all required facilities be set up. And finally, it has happened.”

The imposing three-storeyed building, located away from the hustle and bustle of a crowded area, has easy access from Telco Road and the Pune-Mumbai highway. There are hardly any traffic jams on the approach roads to the new court building.

The new building will have space for 11 courts to conduct daily hearings. It has two parking spaces, one on the ground floor and another in the basement. The parking space will accommodate at least 300 two-wheelers and 50 four-wheelers. “Besides, there will be two record rooms, two bar rooms, a temporary jail facility and an e-library room. The PCMC has also promised to put in place a proper video-conferencing facility,” said Rasal.

“The PCMC will rent out the court building. The rent is likely to be around Rs 6-7 lakh. The state government will look after it,” he added.

Civic officials said they have set up 11 courtrooms for 11 courts as the advocates demand. However, advocates said, as of now, the plan is to shift only the five existing courts to the new building. “As per our information, no sanction has been given to six new courts. We have been demanding a family court, industrial court, motor vehicle court, a branch of district and sessions court, and senior division civil court should also be set up in Pimpri,” said advocate Sushil Mancharkar, former president of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Advocates Bar Association.

He said the process to get sanction from the Maharashtra government and the Bombay High Court for the six other courts was underway.

Mancharkar said currently, the Pimpri courts have powers to decide only cases where up to a three-year jail term can be given and a fine up to Rs 5 lakh can be imposed. “And that is why we demand that a branch of the district and sessions court be set up here. Pimpri-Chinchwad has a population of 25-30 lakh. Yet it does not have a sessions court. In contrast, there are sessions court branches in other parts of the district where the population is barely between one to two lakh. We hope the Bombay High Court and the state government will consider this matter seriously and give a green signal to the sessions court,” Mancharkar said.

Rasal said one of the biggest reliefs would be housing the accused brought to the court. “When an accused is brought to the court by the police, there is a huge rush and chaos at Morwadi. But the new court building will have a temporary jail facility. Here, the accused can be kept as soon as they are brought to the court premises. And therefore, it will help avoid the chaos,” he said.

The parking facility, said Mancharka, is another significant change at the new court building premises. “Currently, there is no parking space at the Morwadi court. Vehicles are parked anywhere and indiscriminately, causing traffic jams outside the court premises. But with ample parking space, the new court building will offer relief to advocates, judges and citizens who come daily to the court premises,” he said.

Also Read

Mocha effect: Pune’s temperature touches 40-degree Celsius mark

Sharad Pawar hits back at Saamana, says those he groomed are shining brig...

Proof of self-occupancy must to get 40% tax concession for properties reg...

Elderly doc cheated for Rs 2 crores, Pune cops take custody of four suspe...

In Pimpri, there are around 1,800 advocates. “At least 500 turn up every day in connection with their cases. For such a huge number, adequate parking space will certainly be a big relief,” Mancharkar added.