‘Covid Excuse No Longer Acceptable’: HC Pulls Up ASI Over Neglect of Old HC Building Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has strongly criticized the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for its failure to conserve the historic Old High Court building, rejecting the agency’s reliance on the pandemic as a justification for delays. The court, hearing a suo motu petition and a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by former district bar association (DBA) secretary Manoj Sable through counsel Shreerang Bhandarkar, expressed frustration over the prolonged neglect of the heritage structure. The division bench, comprising Justices Anil Kilor and Raj Wakode, dismissed the ASI’s claim that the six-month deadline for restoration work was unachievable due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The court noted that the pandemic’s effects had subsided by the first quarter of 2022, yet no significant progress had been made in the subsequent four years. “Such reasons cannot be accepted now,” the bench stated, emphasizing the need for accountability. The court highlighted that a portion of the Old High Court building had collapsed earlier, prompting judicial intervention to facilitate its reconstruction. Despite this, the court observed a pattern of administrative apathy, with the expected seriousness in preserving the heritage site remaining absent. The ASI had previously submitted an affidavit citing the pandemic as a barrier to completing the restoration within the stipulated timeframe, but the court found this explanation inadequate. During the hearing, the ASI argued that completing the entire restoration project within six months was not feasible.#bombay_high_court #nagpur_bench #archaeological_survey_of_india #manoj_sable #shreerang_bhandarkar
