The Supreme Court has refused to list the plea filed by a contractor arrested in connection with alleged construction irregularities in the Rajasthan High Court’s Jodhpur building and directed him to seek remedy before the High Court instead.

Recently, it has been reported that the Rajasthan Police has arrested a few persons accused of alleged irregularities in the construction of the Rajasthan High Court's new building at Jodhpur.

The Rajasthan High Court has also taken suo motu cognizance regarding the structural integrity, safety and imminent peril to human lives arising from the Central Dome and allied defects in the Building of the Rajasthan High Court, Principal Seat, Jodhpur.

The Bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana refused to list the matter and asked the Petitioner to approach the High Court.


The Counsel for the Petitioner requested the Court to list the matter tomorrow, i.e. September 10, 2026, assailing the order passed by the Rajasthan High Court on 24th of August 20206.

He submitted, "In respect of any matter pending in a civil court or a criminal court, the no civil court or any other criminal court will take a cognizance except the High Court or the Supreme Court. It pertains to the construction of a Jodhpur High Court...I was the constructor— it pertains to the construction of the Jodhpur High Court, My Lord. I was the contractor. I finished my work in 2024...I have been arrested."

Chief Justice Kant said, "For bail, you go to High Court."

 The Counsel submitted that the FIR was registered in 2024 but the arrests were made yesterday.

CJI Kant said, "No, no. Why can't you go to High Court? Please tell us."

The Counsel said, "It's a judicial order...with all due respect. It's not an administrative order; it's a judicial order."

Accordingly, the Court refused to list the matter and asked the Petitioner to move to the High Court.

According to the expert opinion of the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, the building is in a state of imminent collapse and may fall at any moment, thereby exposing the precious lives of all the stakeholders within the premises to grave and irreversible danger and damage.

The Court recorded with deep anguish and stern disapproval of the condition of the said Dome, occupying a central and prominent position in the building, which has been opined by experts of IIT Bombay to be structurally compromised to such an extent that its failure is no longer a remote contingency but an imminent and ever-present threat.

Vide its order dated August 24, the High Court had directed, "This Court directs the concerned authorities to conduct the investigation, and to pursue all remedial steps presently underway, to the fullest extent of their capacity and in the best interest of the common man, and to report to this Court on the next date as to the redressal achieved and the action plan proposed...It is directed that necessary steps shall accordingly be taken, responsibility shall be fixed, appropriate action shall be initiated, and all proceedings presently pending against persons found responsible shall be carried to their logical conclusion in a time-bound manner and at the earliest."

The High Court had previously impleaded state authorities and institutional bodies, including the State of Rajasthan, PWD, RSRDC, and the Union of India. The Court issued immediate interim directions mandating the cordoning off of the Central Dome, establishment of round-the-clock structural health monitoring, strict access control, formulation of evacuation protocols with mock drills within 72 hours, and execution of protective retrofitting under expert supervision. 

Tags: