HC rejects statue plea

Two bronze statues, tucked away in a shed in the premises of Co-operative Appellate Courts, stands mute witnesses to the neglect of heritag...

Two bronze statues, tucked away in a shed in the premises of Co-operative Appellate Courts, stands mute witnesses to the neglect of heritage precincts in Mumbai.

AUGUST 10: The Bombay High Court has, for the second time, rejected BS Nanavati’s plea to retrieve two full-size bronze statues spotted by him in a dilapidated cabin in the compound of Maharashtra Co-operative Appellate Courts, adjacent to the Elphinstone College in Mumbai.

The first petition by Nanavati was earlier rejected by the division bench of Chief Justice M B Shah and Justice Ranjana Desai. He was directed by the bench to approach the Chairman of the Heritage Conservation Committee to seek redressal of his grievance. While he wrote to the chairman, there was no reply. He therefore moved the court again. But the petition was rejected on the same grounds.

Sixty-nine-year-old Nanavati appeared in person before the court asking it to consider the petition in public interest. He feels that the state government, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and other authorities have robbed the city of its original beauty by transferring statues from one site to another. For instance, the Kala Ghoda statue was removed from its original site and placed in the Veer Jijamata Udyan. The earlier site of the statue is now utilised for parking vehicles. After the renaming of VT railway station, Queen Victoria’s statue was removed. Similarly, Queen Elizabeth’s statue was removed from Flora Fountain. The petition makes out a list of all the displaced statues.

Story continues below this ad

Nanavati expressed his sense of shock after spotting two full-size bronze statues, which according to him, are that of King George V and the Prince of Wales. They are placed in a cabin made of asbestos sheets in the compound of the appellate courts. The inconsequential site is sandwiched between the Elphinstone College and Royal Institute of Science. He believes that the statues are worth Rs 50 crore.

As regards installation of the two statues, Nanavati has suggested that the listed monument of the Old Secretariat building is suitable for the statues. He has recalled how the Bombay City Civil and Sessions Court’s bar association have been granted a plot, measuring 7,000 square feet, for a monthly rent of Rs 200 since 1968. Nanavati’s petition suggests that it would be apt if the association is asked to install the statues. “It is using public premises for commercial use. And installation of these statues will be welfare work in their golden jubilee year.”

When Express Newsline captured the site on film, it was found that these statues were removed in a dilapidated shed from the premises of the Institute of Science by the State Public Works Department. They have been languishing in the shed since 1982.YYY