The Sheriff of Bombay is an apolitical titular position of authority bestowed for one year on a prominent citizen of
Bombay
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
.
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
An order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of nominal importance and can be applied to individuals, groups, or organizations. Most often it is used in the context of people by many organizations and governments, for very formal and state o ...
, the Sheriff ranks just below the
Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
. Bombay and
Calcutta
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
are the only cities in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
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 Mahadeo may refer to:
* Shiva, a Hindu God
* Mahadeo Hills in Madhya Pradesh, India
* Mahadeo Deole, Mayor of Mumbai (2002 - February 2005)
* Mahadeo Govind Ranade
Mahadev Govind Ranade (18 January 1842 – 16 January 1901), popularly referre ...
, a city businessman in 1948. His son,
Shantaram Mahadeo Dahanukar Shantaram may refer to any of the following:
* V. Shantaram (1901–1990), Indian filmmaker, film producer and actor
* ''Shantaram'' (novel), a novel written by Gregory David Roberts
* ''Shantaram'' (TV series), a TV series based on the novel of ...
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
A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...
of
Maharashtra
Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
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:
See also
*
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)
*
Municipal Corporation Building, Mumbai
The Municipal Corporation Building, Mumbai, located in South Mumbai, Maharashtra, India is a Grade IIA heritage building opposite to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (a UNESCO World heritage site) at the junction of Dadabhai Naoroji Road and M ...
(for details on the buildings architecture)
*
Coat of arms of Mumbai
The Coat of Arms of Greater Mumbai (used by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, the governing body of the city of Mumbai) is the official coat of arms of the city of Mumbai. It is a four-panel shield supported by an intertwining floral ...
*
Administrative divisions of Mumbai
The city of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, is divided into administrative divisions. Greater Mumbai is the urban agglomeration of 18 million people (the largest in India and one of the six largest in the world) which comes under the Municipal Corpo ...
*
Mayor of Mumbai
The Mayor of Mumbai is the elected chief of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. The mayor is the first citizen of the city. The role is largely ceremonial as the real powers are vested in the Municipal Commissioner. The Mayor plays a d ...
*
Municipal Commissioner of Mumbai
The Municipal Commissioner of Mumbai is the chief executive officer of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Though the Mayor is the head of the house, his role is largely ceremonial and almost all powers are vested in the Commissioner. The M ...
*
Sheriff of Kolkata
The Sheriff of Kolkata is an apolitical titular position of authority bestowed for one year on a prominent citizen of Kolkata (Calcutta). The Sheriff has an office and staff in Calcutta High Court but does not have executive powers. Mumbai (Bo ...
*
Sheriff of Madras
The Sheriff of Madras was an apolitical titular position of authority bestowed for one year on a prominent citizen of Madras. The post was abolished in 1998.
The position of Sheriff of Madras was created in the Madras Charter of 1726 which came ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheriff Of Mumbai
Government of Mumbai
Titles of national or ethnic leadership