Rajasthan High Court takes suo motu notice of collapsing dome in Jodhpur

The Story in Brief

The Rajasthan High Court has initiated a suo motu public interest litigation over structural defects in its Principal Seat building at Jodhpur, after an IIT Bombay audit warned that the central dome could collapse any moment. The Division Bench of Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati and Justice Praveer Bhatnagar noted that a portion of the dome had already collapsed in April 2023, and plaster had fallen in April 2025. The IIT report found active corrosion in steel reinforcement, with 40% of inspected areas showing vulnerability to concrete spalling, caused by water seepage, carbonation, and chloride contamination.

The court expressed deep anguish over the condition of the 21-metre-high dome, calling it a threat to human life and the dignity of the constitutional court. It directed the state government to establish round-the-clock structural monitoring, prepare a safety and evacuation protocol within 48 hours, and conduct mock drills within 72 hours. A 24×7 control room must be set up in the court premises. The Chief Secretary, Principal Secretaries of Finance and Public Works, and the Rajasthan DGP have been ordered to appear on August 24 to explain the defects and submit a time-bound repair plan.