High Court rejects pleas on Rs 1 yearly lease for Bal Thackeray memorial land

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday dismissed a series of petitions related to the Bal Thackeray memorial issue. The Public Interest Litigations (PILs) had challenged the Maharashtra government’s decision to allot the iconic Mumbai Mayor’s bungalow at Shivaji Park to a memorial dedicated to late Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray for a token amount of Rs 1.

The bench, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne, was hearing multiple petitions contesting the government’s decision to convert the bungalow in Mumbai’s Dadar area into a memorial. Between 2017 and 2019, four PILs were filed opposing the move.

The petitions had been reserved for orders following detailed hearings held last week.

Lawyers representing two of the petitioners clarified that they did not object to a memorial for the late leader, but took issue with the manner in which the prime public property was transferred.

Jyoti Chavan, representing the state, argued that all due procedures had been followed. She informed the court that public notices were issued and suggestions and objections were invited in 2017.

“So the allegation that we did not follow procedure is not true. Moreover, these are policy decisions taken for a noble purpose, and it is not within the public’s domain to dictate how much the government should have charged, especially during a liquidity crunch. Also, this is not the first instance of the government allotting land for Rs 1. Several organisations have received similar concessions,” Chavan submitted.

On the other hand, advocates representing the petitioners contended that the Shiv Sena and its first family were financially well-off and had sought to save money by acquiring the land at a nominal lease rate.

“Land worth Rs 1,000 crore, including the bungalow, has been handed over for Rs 1. This is a classic case of public property being usurped,” argued advocate Uday Warunjikar, appearing for one of the petitioners.

Advocate Darius Khambata, appearing for the Trust, opposed the petitions and submitted that other organisations, such as the Veer Savarkar Trust, had received similar lease agreements. He presented photographs showing that the memorial is complete.

“The heritage structure remains untouched and has been restored. The memorial is unique as it is built underground. With the memorial ready, it is not appropriate for the petitioners to object at this stage. Architect Abha Lambah oversaw the project. The process was duly followed, and two members were made permanent trustees as required,” Khambata submitted.

The year 2026 marks the centenary of Bal Thackeray’s birth, and the memorial is expected to open to the public by then.

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