Heritage Status on Hold: Bombay High Court Orders Status Quo for Savarkar Sadan

The Bombay High Court has mandated a halt on any redevelopment at Savarkar Sadan in Dadar, central Mumbai, thereby preserving its current state pending further legal proceedings. The directive was issued by Justices A S Chandurkar and Neela Ghokale, who also notified the state's Urban Development Department and the BMC.

The court is seeking information from the government on when it plans to designate the building as a heritage site. This step comes in response to a petition by the Abhinav Bharat Congress, with its leader Pankaj Phadnis highlighting the site's historic link to Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, a prominent figure in India's nationalist history.

The petition underscores the building's cultural importance and argues for its inclusion in Mumbai's official Heritage List, citing previous recommendations by the BMC in 2012. Additionally, there is an appeal to classify it as a monument of national significance, despite it not meeting the 100-year age criterion.

(With inputs from agencies.)