Bombay HC Asks Maharashtra Govt To Consider SIT Or Senior Officer Probe Into 2016 Ambedkar Bhavan Demolition

Mumbai, August 4, 2026: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday asked the Maharashtra Advocate General to consider transferring the investigation into the 2016 demolition of the historic Buddha Bhushan Printing Press and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Bhavan in Dadar to either a Special Investigation Team (SIT) or a senior police officer, expressing concern over the slow pace of the probe even after a decade.

Court Questions Slow Progress

A Bench of Justices Ajey Gadkari and Kamal Khata was hearing a batch of petitions, including one filed by Prakash Ambedkar, seeking an independent investigation into the late-night demolition of the printing press founded by Dr B.R. Ambedkar.

The court questioned the progress of the investigation after it was informed that the statements of petitioner Prakash Ambedkar, complainant Anand Ambedkar and the original trustees of the Bhavan had not been recorded.

"Crime is of 2016. We are in August 2026… How many statements have been recorded so far?" the Bench asked.

Additional Public Prosecutor Prajakta Shinde informed the court that more than 25 statements had been recorded but admitted that the statements of the trustees had not yet been taken. She maintained that the complainant's statement had been recorded.

Advocate Prakash Ambedkar, who argued in person, told the court, "My statement is not recorded. My brother Anand, who is the complainant, even his statement is not recorded. Even the original trustees' statements are not recorded."

Suggestion For SIT Probe

The Bench then told Advocate General Milind Sathe, "Just a suggestion. Record the petitioner's statement. Transfer the investigation to an SIT or to a senior officer. Prima facie, it shows something is missing."

Sathe responded that he would consider the suggestion and place an updated status report before the court detailing the progress of the investigation and the statements recorded during the next hearing.

The matter will now be heard after two weeks.

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Earlier Affidavits

In June this year, the Mumbai Police and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) filed affidavits stating that the demolition was carried out by a private trust without the civic body's permission.

Police Commissioner Deven Bharti had said there was no prior intelligence about the late-night demolition and that two FIRs were registered on June 25, 2016. The BMC, in its affidavit, also stated that it had neither permitted nor authorised the demolition and that no civic officials were involved in the action.

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