The Sheriff of Bombay is an apolitical titular position of authority bestowed for one year on a prominent citizen of Bombay.
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, the sheriff ranks just below the Mayor. Mumbai (Bombay) and Kolkata (Calcutta) are the only cities in India 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, a city businessman in 1948. His son, Shantaram Mahadeo Dahanukar 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 of Maharashtra 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: S. No. Name Term Known for1 George Birdwood 1846 Anglo-Indian official, naturalist, and writer2 Bomonji Hormusji Wadia 1858 Shipbuilding broker3 Bhau Daji 1869 Physician and educationalist4 Bhau Daji 1871 Physician and educationalist5 Dosabhai Framji Karaka 1872 Publisher, writer and magistrate6 T.G. Hewlett 1873 Physician7 Narayan Daji 1875 Physician8 Thomas Blaney 1876 (1st term) Physician9 Atmaram Pandurang 1879 Physician10 Sorabji Shapurji Bengali 1881 Banker11 Raghanath Narayan Khote 1883 Merchant12Rahimtulla M. Sayani1885Lawyer13 Dinshaw Maneckji Petit 1887 Parsi entrepreneur 14 Thomas Blaney 1888 (2nd term) Physician15 James Douglas 1893 Banker and writer16 Cowasji Hormusji 1894 Physician17 Ghelabhai Haridas 1896 18 Sir George Cotton 1897 Businessman 19 Adamjee Peerbhoy 1898 Businessman 20 Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, Bt 1900 21 James Douglas 1902 Banker and writer21 Sir Hurkisondas Nurrotumdas 1903 Businessman22 Sir Sassoon J. David 1905 Jewish businessman23 Khan Bahadur Muncherji Cowasji Murzban 1905 Architect and engineer24 T.W. Cuffe 1906 Businessman25 E.P. Nicholson 190726 Sir Henry B.E. Proctor 190827 Nicholas Smith Glazebrook 1909 28 Haji Suleman Abdul Wahed 191029 Shapurji Burjorji Broacha 1911 President of the Native Share and Stock Broker's Association30 Herbert B. Greaves 1913 Meherali Fazulbhoy Chinoy 1914 Broker Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy 1915 Businessman Sir Thomas Birkett 1917 Sir Cowasji Jehangir 1919 Merchant Sir Purshottamdas Thakurdas 1920 Sidney Julius Gillum 1921 Merchant Mahomedbhai Curimbhoy Ebrahim 1922 Sir Temulji Bhicaji Nariman 1923 Obstetrician Sir Ishwardas Lakhmidas. 1924 Sir Henry P.W. Macnaghten 1925 Sir Fazulbhoy Curimbhoy 1926 Salebhoy K. Barodawala 1926 Sir Byramji Jeejeebhoy 1927 Businessman Narayan Vishwanath Mandlik 1928 Sir Reginald Spence 1929 Bandeally Hajibhai Lalji 1930 Perozeshah J. Marzban 1931 Sir Kikabhai Premchand 1932 Sir Hugh G. Cocke 1933 Sir Suleman Cassum Mitha, CIE 1934 Sir Shapoorji Billimoria 1935 Accountant Chunilal B. Melita 1936 Sir A. G. Gray 1937 Mohamedbhoy Ibrahim Rowjee 1938 Mayor of Bombay, 1946 Phiroze C. Bharucha 1939 Mathuradas Vissanji Khimji 1940 T. Sinclair Kennedy 1941 General Manager, Glenfield and Kennedy Mirza Rashidali Baig 1942 Jamshedji Duggan 1943 Ophthalmic surgeon Shantidas Askuran 1944 Silk merchant John Brownson Greaves 1945 Industrialist A. A. Jasdenwalla 1946 Industrialist Mithan Jamshed Lam 1947 Lawyer Mahadeo Laxman Dahanukar 1948 Businessman Joachim Alva 1949 Lawyer, journalist and politician Sir Fazal Ibrahim Rahimtoola 1950 Pestonji Phiroz Shah Kapadia 1951 Ramdeo Anandilal Podar 1952 Khwaja Abdul Hamied 1953 Scientist, industrialist Manekji Nadirshah Dalal 1954 Motichand G. Shahah 1955 Sardar Bahadur Bakshi Dalip Singh 1956 Gulestan Rustom Billimoria 1957 J. C. Jain 1958 General Manager, Times of India Abasaheb Garware 1959 Industrialist, founder Chairman of the Garware Group Y. A. Fazalbhoy 1960 J. D. Kothawala 1961 Frank Moraes 1962 Editor, Times of India Ramprasad Khandelwal 1963 Appat Balkrishna Nair 1964 J. N. Heredia 1965 Gangaram Ratansi Joshi 1966 Haji Hasham Ismail 1967 Diplomat and Consul General (DR) Shorab Kaikhushru Khan 1968 Shantaram Mahadeo Dahanukar 1969 Vijay Merchant 1970 Cricketer Narotam Chand Puri 1971 Shadi Lal Jain 1972 Mehboob Nasrullah 1972 Social Worker J. G. Bodhe 1973 Engineer Kantikumar R. Podar 1974 T. V. Ramanujam 1975 Leela Moolgaokar 1976 Social worker Anjanabai Magar 1977 Narendra Narotamdas Kapadia 1978 Ram Kumar Batra 1979 Businessman Dilip Kumar 1980 Film actor and social worker Bal Krishna Goyal 1981 Cardiologist Sunil Dutt 1982 Film actor, politician and social worker Sohrab Pirojsha Godrej 1983 Industrialist Madhav Laxmanrao Apte 1984 Cricketer and businessman Mohanbahai I. Patel 1985 Industrialist Trimbak Krishnarao Tope 1986 Former principal (GLC), former vice-chancellor (Mumbai University), Constitutional expert Sadrudin Hasan Daya 1987 Businessperson Jahangir K. S. Nicholson 1988 Cotton merchant Nana Chudasama 1989, 1990 Social activist Saad Alim Bagban 1991 Homi Sethna 1991 Ex-Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission of India Bakul Rajani Patel 1992 Businesswoman Fakhruddin T. Khorakiwala 1993 Businessman I. M. Kadri 1994 Architect Sunil Gavaskar 1995 Cricketer Subir Kumar Choudhury 1996 Businessman Usha Kiran 1997 Actress Kulwant Singh Kohli 1998 Restaurateur Chandrakant Bakshi 1999 Writer Augustine Francis Pinto 2000Chairman, Ryan Group Of Institutions Ashok V. Mehta 2001 Businessman Kiran Shantaram 2002 Filmmaker Jagannathrao Hegde 2003 Dentist Sadruddin Daya 2005 Businessman Vijaypat Singhania 2006 Businessman no election 2007 Indu Shahani 2008 Academic no election Abdul Munaf Kazi, Deputy Sheriff of Mumbai (appointed March 1, 1990), served as acting sheriff of Mumbai 2009–2013 Satish Chitgopekar 2016 Academic
See also Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Coat of arms of Mumbai Administrative divisions of Mumbai Mayor of Mumbai Municipal Commissioner of Mumbai Sheriff of Kolkata Sheriff of Madras
References