History

Sindhudurg District is a southern part of Konkan region, situated between Arabian Sea and Sahyadri Mountain. On 1st May, 1981 a separate new District Sindhudurg came to be established after carving 6 talukas i.e. Kudal, Vengurla, Sawantwadi, Malvan, Kankavli and Devgad from the original District Ratnagiri. Lateron, 2 Talukas viz. Vaibhavwadi and Dodamarg came to be included in District Sindhudurg. As such, at present there are 8 Talukas in Sindhudurg District. Average length of the District in North – South direction is about 130 km., where as average width in East – West direction is about 40 km.

Sindhudurg District is surrounded by District Kolhapur on Eastern side, District Ratnagiri on Northen Side, Goa on southern side, on west Arabian Sea. Sindhudurg has 127 k.m. coastal area. On East, there are ranges of Sahyadri Mountain. In the said mountain range, there are 4 big mountain passes commonly known as Ghat. They are viz. Karul, Phonda, Amboli and Bhuibawada.

The District and Sessions Court, Sindhudurg started from 27th January 1997 at Oros. Oros is a centrally situated village in Taluka Kudal, which is selected as district headquarters. Though, Sindhudurg District is established in the year 1981, a separate District and Sessions Court for this district started functioning from the above date. A separate beautiful building for the District Court and other courts is constructed in Central Campus. Provision for 9 independent courts is made in the building.

The inauguration ceremony of the new District Court Building was performed on 25th January 1997 at the auspicious hand of the Hon’ble Shri. Justice M.B.Shah, the then Chief Justice of Bombay High Court and in the presence of Hon’ble Shri. V.G.Munshi, the then District and Sessions Judge, Ratnagiri. The Hon’ble Shri. M.N.Godbole, the 1st District and Sessions Judge, Sindhudurg, presided over the said inaugural ceremony.

Number of Courts including Taluka Courts:-

There are 5 Courts working at District place. i.e. Principal District and Sessions Court, Court of District Judge-1 and Additional Sessions Judge, Court of District Judge-2 and Additional Sessions Judge, Sindhudurg, Court of Civil Judge Senior Division and Chief Judicial Magistrate, Sindhudurg, the Court of Jt. Civil Judge Senior Division and Additional. Chief Judicial Magistrate, Sindhudurg and 7 Taluka Courts are working in this District i.e. Civil Judge Junior Division and Judicial Magistrate First Class, Kudal, Vengurla, Sawantwadi, Malvan, Kankavli, Devgad and Dodamarg. Gramnyayalay has been established at Vaibhavwadi and its charge is with the Civil Judge Junior Division and Judicial Magistrate First Class, Kankavli. Besides this, 4 Joint Courts are working at Kudal, Sawantwadi, Malvan, Kankavli.