Bombay HC dismisses PIL against jetty near Murud Janjira fort in Raigad

Bombay High Court/ File Photo

A public interest lawsuit (PIL) opposing the building of a jetty close to the Murud-Janjira coastal fort in Maharashtra's Raigad district - a well-liked tourist destination - was dismissed by the Bombay High Court on Monday.

Mahesh Mohite, a local politician and social activist, filed the PIL, arguing that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) recognises the fort as historically significant. Mohite argued that constructing a jetty close to the fort would harm the ecosystem and cause difficulties for the local fishermen, reported PTI.

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However, a division bench consisting of Chief Justice Devendra Upadhyaya and Justice Arif Doctor noted that no grievances were submitted by the fishermen themselves. The court noted that the concerned fishermen had previously organised a cooperative society that could communicate their concerns to the appropriate authorities, the PTI report added.

According to the report, the bench questioned the petitioner's objectives, noting that courts should not be used to advance political agendas. The court noted that the petitioner, Mohite, was neither a member of the fishermen's cooperative society nor had he made any representations to any authority before filing a lawsuit.

"The petition could have been filed by the fishermen. Why should we entertain the petition of a politician?" the bench said, per a report in PTI.

According to the report, the court said, "The petitioner should not consider courts as a political platform and utilise legal proceedings for political purposes."

"We are not providing a field to play politics. Why has the society (fishermen) not filed a petition? We don't appreciate this. You are not an office-bearer or member," the HC further added.

The HC, while dismissing the PIL, said that the fishermen's group can take legal action as warranted, the PTI report stated.

The jetty's construction is being performed by a government body to improve visitor access to the fort.

Meanwhile, in another unrelated incident, recently a RoRo ferry service was started which connects Vasai and Bhayander in Maharashtra. However, the service on Saturday afternoon faced a hiccup when the boat was stuck for over an hour at the jetty ramp in Vasai due to low tide. The incident left 55 passengers stranded for over an hour. The ferry workers, according to a mid-day report, had tried to pull the boat with help of another one, but in vain.