MUMBAI: The ceiling of Bombay High Court’s majestic central courtroomon Tuesday morning bore the brunt of the torrential rainsand began leaking

The leakage came to light when the staff of the bench presided by Chief Justice Manjula Chellur came in before the court assembled. The CJ’s bench was occupying the central courtroom (no 46) as the first court (no 52), as the CJ’s court is called, is undergoing repairs. Both courtrooms are on the second floor. Since the CJ was to sit late, the court was shifted to another courtroom (no 49) on the same floor.

The central courtroom is situated under the central dome of the high court building built in Gothic style 1878. It still has most of the original teak furniture and bears testimony to the bygone days when the jury system was prevalent in India – with a jury box on the left side of the judge’s dais

The sprawling court witnessed the historic trial of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak who was charged with for sedition in 1908. Tilak’s words at the trial are immortalised on a plaque outside the court room. “In spite of the verdict of the jury I maintain that I am innocent. There are higher powers that rule the destiny of men and nation and it may be the will of providence that the cause which I represent may prosper more by my suffering than by my remaining free.”

As carried in  TOI on 30/8/2017