Supreme Court Refuses to Intervene in Goa Shivaji Statue Removal Case
The Supreme Court on [date] declined to entertain a petition challenging the Bombay High Court's order directing the removal of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj from land owned by the Mormugao Port Authority in Goa.
A bench comprising Justices M M Sundresh and Sheel Nagu was hearing the petition. When the court expressed its unwillingness to interfere, the petitioner withdrew the plea. The bench recorded the withdrawal, granting the petitioner the liberty to approach the High Court for any modification of the impugned order.
The Bombay High Court had earlier pulled up both the port authorities and the Goa administration for allowing the installation of the statue illegally. In its April 7 order, the High Court stated, "Only the state, through its agencies, can adequately address law and order issues. In the present case, we see a clear invasion of a major port's property and the state has acted as a mere bystander, tacitly colluding with the perpetrators."
The dispute centres around the installation of the statue on port authority land without proper authorization. The High Court had directed its removal, leading to the appeal in the Supreme Court. With the top court's refusal, the High Court order stands.
