Sheriff of Mumbai

The Sheriff of Mumbai is an apolitical titular position of authority bestowed for one year on a prominent citizen of Mumbai. The last Sheriff of Mumbai appointed was Dr. Mrs. Indu Shahani, principal of H. R. College, 2008.

The Sheriff is an officer of the High Court and the nominal Head of the High Court Department which carries out the orders of the High Court for summoning people, and also for attachment and sealing of properties and if ordered for their auction. The Sheriff has an office and staff but does not have any executive powers. The Sheriff office is in Bombay High Court, Fort on the Ground Floor. In the order of precedence, the Sheriff ranks just below the Mayor. Mumbai and Kolkata (Calcutta) are the only cities in India to maintain this post.

The most important social function of the Sheriff is to receive foreign dignitaries at the airport on behalf of the city and to call condolence meetings on the demise of prominent citizens of the city.

The first Sheriff of Mumbai after independence was Mahadeo Laxman Dahanukar, a city businessman in 1948. His son, Shantaram Mahadeo Dahanukar was also a Sheriff of Mumbai in 1969.

The Sheriff presides over various city-related functions and conferences and is in charge of receiving foreign guests of the government. The post gives the incumbent close access to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and the Municipal Commissioner of the city. It is often criticised by citizens as a waste of public money. As the post is apolitical, many prominent citizens use it as a platform to showcase their achievements and serve the citizens of the metropolis.

Former Sheriffs

Former Sheriffs include:

S. No. Name Term Known for
1 Bhau Daji 1869 Physician, Educationalist
2 Bhau Daji 1871 Physician, Educationalist
3 Adamjee Peerbhoy 1898 Businessman
4 Mithan Jamshed Lam 1947 Lawyer
5 M. L. Dahanukar 1948 Businessman
6 Joachim Alva 1949 Lawyer, journalist and politician
7 Anandilal Podar 1952
8 Khwaja Abdul Hamied 1953 Scientist, Industrialist
9 Abasaheb Garware 1959 Industrialist, Founder Chairman of the Garware Group
10 Frank Moraes 1962 Journalist
11 H. H. Ismail 1967 Diplomat and Consul General (DR)
12 Shantaram M. Dahanukar 1969
13 Leela Moolgaokar[1] 1975, 1976 Social Worker
14 Dilip Kumar 1980 Film actor and Social Worker
15 B. K. Goyal 1981 Cardiologist
16 Sunil Dutt 1982 Actor
17 Sadruddin Daya 1987 Businessperson
18 Trimbak Krishna Tope[2] 1988 Former Principal (GLC), Former Vice-Chancellor (Mumbai University), Constitutional Expert
19 Jehangir Nicholson 1988
20 Nana Chudasama 1989, 1990 Social activist
21 Homi Sethna 1991 Ex-Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission of India
22 Fakhruddin T. Khorakiwala 1993 Businessman
23 I.M. Kadri 1994 Architect
24 Sunil Gavaskar 1995 Cricketer
25 Subir Kumar Choudhury 1996 Businessman
26 Usha Kiran 1997[3] Actress
27 Sr. Kulwant Singh Kohli 1998
28 Chandrakant Bakshi 1999 Writer
29 Augustine Pinto 2000
30 Kiran Shantaram 2002, 2003 Filmmaker
31 Jagannathrao Hegde 2004[4] Dentist
32 Vijaypat Singhania 2006 Businessman
33 Indu Shahani 2008 Academic

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Leela Moolgaokar (1916-1992)". Tata Central Archives. Retrieved 2014-09-04.
  2. ↑ http://www.busybeeforever.com/viewart.asp?section=roundandabout&filename=bombay917200442901.xml&subsec=bombay
  3. ↑ "Actress Usha Kiran passes away at 71". The Indian Express. March 10, 2000.
  4. ↑ "New sheriff wants stress-free Mumbai". MiD DAY. 23 December 2003. Retrieved 31 December 2010.
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