MUMBAI: As chunks of ceiling and plaster continue to fall inside the 46-year-old building housing the Court of Small Causes in Dhobi Talao, south Mumbai, lawyers have alleged that the court complex has turned into a “hazard zone”, with serious structural defects persisting despite nearly ₹20 crore being spent on repairs and renovations over the past several years.‘Hazard zone’: Lawyers say ₹20-crore repairs fail to fix crumbling Small Causes Court in SoBoAdvocates practising in the court said they repeatedly alerted judicial and government authorities to the deteriorating condition of the building, but their concerns have largely gone unaddressed.The issue came into sharp focus after a portion of the false ceiling collapsed on September 18, 2025, in the washroom attached to the Ladies Bar Room of the court’s new building. Although no one was injured, the incident prompted the Advocates’ Association of the Small Causes Court to write to the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, the court’s Guardian Judges, the Principal Judge of the Court of Small Causes, the Public Works Department’s (PWD) Chief Engineer and the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa, warning that the building had become a “hazard zone” requiring urgent intervention.In its representation submitted in November 2025, the association highlighted extensive cracks in pillars and beams across advocates’ bar rooms, courtrooms and common areas, recurring water seepage through walls and structural members, and repeated instances of plaster falling from ceilings and passages.Audit demand growsWarning that the condition of the building could lead to a major accident and even fatalities, the association sought an independent structural audit, identification and closure of unsafe portions of the premises, accountability against officials and contractors responsible for the prolonged repairs, and consideration of constructing a new court building if further repairs were found to be unviable.Advocates said the PWD subsequently undertook repair work, including restoring the washroom ceiling where the collapse occurred. However, they alleged that the work was largely cosmetic, comprising repainting and patch repairs, while the structural defects highlighted in their complaint remain visible throughout the building.Photographs taken in March show fresh paint and plaster applied over walls and ceilings where cracks and seepage marks continue to be visible.“After the false ceiling collapse, repairs were carried out in that area, but the larger issues identified in the complaint remain unresolved,” said Sachin Gelye, president of the Advocates’ Association of the Small Causes Court. “You can still see cracks reopening through freshly painted surfaces in several parts of the building,” he added.Haridas Santosh, vice-president of the association, said the advocates’ primary demand was an independent assessment of the structure. “The concern is not about plastering or the paintwork. The demand is for a proper structural audit by competent experts,” Santosh said.The concerns have assumed greater significance because crores of rupees have already been spent on repeated repairs. According to the association, the PWD sanctioned ₹20 crore in 2017 for major repairs to the court’s new building. Yet, nearly a decade later, the work remains incomplete, the representation stated.The association also pointed out that while the Mazgaon Court building was demolished and reconstructed within about three years, the Small Causes Court building has remained under repair and renovation for more than two decades. It added that the money spent on repairs was substantial enough to construct two entirely new buildings.Safety fears persistConstructed around 1980-81, the building houses one of Mumbai’s most important civil courts, dealing with landlord-tenant disputes and a range of other civil matters, including cases relating to municipal laws that affect ordinary residents.Established under the Presidency Small Cause Courts Act, 1882, the Court of Small Causes at Mumbai exercises exclusive jurisdiction over rent-control disputes and also hears matters relating to municipal laws, wages, debt relief and housing legislation. The institution functions through its principal seat at Dhobi Talao and branch premises at Bandra.Lawyers have also raised concerns over emergency evacuation arrangements at the Bandra court premises.“At present, there is only one access point for litigants and advocates to enter and leave the court premises. Until a couple of years ago, there were three gates, but the entrance near Ashoka Restaurant and another gate were shut citing security concerns,” said a member of the association. “If an emergency such as a fire were to break out, everyone inside would effectively be trapped, putting countless lives at risk,” the member added.“Let alone access to justice, access to judiciary itself is a challenge here at this court,” a member of the association added.Advocates said the condition of the principal seat directly affects thousands of litigants, lawyers and court staff who use the premises every day.In a fresh representation made on June 18, the association informed the Bombay High Court that despite repeated representations, many of its grievances highlighted in its April representation remained unresolved. In April 2026, the association had submitted a similar representation to various state and judicial authorities, reiterating its demand for an independent structural audit, identification of hazardous portions of the building, immediate safety measures wherever required, and action to fix accountability on officials and contractors responsible for the prolonged repair works. The Guardian Judges of the Bombay High Court are scheduled to visit the court on July 2 to assess the condition of the building and review several other issues raised by the advocates, a source with knowledge of the matter told Hindustan Times.Repeated attempts to seek comments from Pradnya Walke, Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department, on the allegations and the status of the repair project elicited no response.