Mumbai: Canteen at Esplanade court sealed over dues

MUMBAI: The canteen of the Esplanade metropolitan magistrate court was sealed on Monday after the Bombay Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court’s Bar Association defaulted in paying arrears of Rs 56 lakh.
On Tuesday, lawyers who used to go to the canteen on the first floor of the Esplanade court for a meal or a cup of tea were left in the lurch. Some were seen eating on the staircase and in the library room, where it is not allowed.The bar council room and the library were overcrowded, and the lawyers were seen meeting their clients below the Esplanade court.
“It’s shocking. Where will we go now to eat? There are hardly any restaurants in the court vicinity,” said advocate Kunjumaran Ommen.
Madhav Shinde, the chief metropolitan magistrate, sent a letter to the principal judge, city civil and session court, informing that they have sealed the canteen over arrears of Rs 56 lakh, including Rs 6 lakh as water charges. The letter, a copy is with TOI, said it was the last option.
“Despite repeated notices to the Bar association, it has neither made the payment of outstanding dues or rent nor has it vacated the premises,” said the chief metropolitan magistrate. The Bar association has allegedly given the canteen to one Shekar Shetty to run for a monthly rental and was collecting money, but was not paying.
Dilip Gundecha, the president of the Bar, expressed shocked over the sealing and said they will approach the Bombay high court registrar and request that the canteen be re-opened. “I have just taken over as president of the Bar association. As per the 1996 agreement, the rent was around Rs 1,700 per month but all of a sudden, somewhere in 2001, they increased the rate to Rs 24,000 per month. That is the reason their claim has shot up. As per our calculation, we have to pay them somewhere around Rs 5 lakh only. Now take the water charges: they claim we have to pay Rs 6 lakh. Why should only we pay? The water is being used by various courts, its staff and Azad Maidan police,” said Gundecha.