The High Court of Meghalaya will take up the issue of preservation of heritage sites, including the Laban Circuit House, on March 11. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice W. Diengdoh heard the public interest litigation (PIL) on Wednesday and directed the State Heritage Committee to file an affidavit within two weeks on the identification and protection of historical properties. The direction came after the Additional Advocate General sought four weeks’ time to comply with the court’s December 4, 2025, order, which required the Heritage Committee to submit a detailed report identifying buildings, artefacts and structures under Section 3 of the Meghalaya Heritage Act, 2012, and to outline steps taken for their restoration and preservation. The committee was also asked to examine the heritage status of the Laban Circuit House, which prima facie appears to hold historical importance. The affidavit must be filed with the Registry within two weeks, with an advance copy to the Amicus Curiae.
It may be mentioned that in November 2025, the Meghalaya High Court had directed authorities to prepare a comprehensive report on the state’s heritage buildings, monuments, architecture and other heritage sites under Section 3 of the Meghalaya Heritage Act. The order came in response to a PIL challenging the proposed demolition of Bidhan Chandra Roy’s house in Shillong, and the court also sought details of steps taken for their preservation and restoration.
Bidhan Chandra Roy’s house, which currently functions as a circuit house, had been proposed for demolition to make way for a new multi-storey circuit house. The PIL filed by Malabika Bisharad is being heard by a bench comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice H. S. Thangkhiew. Observing the importance of heritage, the court noted that every civilisation is known for its culture reflected in its buildings, monuments and architecture, and emphasised the need to preserve them for present and future generations. The bench observed that Bidhan Chandra Roy’s house appeared to have historical importance at first glance and directed the State Heritage Committee to examine its heritage value. Advocate General Amit Kumar informed the court that time was needed to gather detailed information on the history of the building, how it came to be used as a circuit house and its present condition, before filing an affidavit. The court granted the state time until February 5 next year to submit the affidavit and ordered that status quo be maintained until then.
Malabika thanked the court, stating that the house built by Bidhan Roy, regarded as one of the architects of modern Shillong, holds deep historical significance. She noted that Rabindranath Tagore’s birthday was celebrated there and that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose had also stayed in the house. She added that, apart from submitting a memorandum to the Governor seeking protection of Bidhan Bhavan, she had also placed relevant documents before the court. She said, “I thank the Meghalaya High Court. Hopefully, the Honorable Court will soon be able to take a final decision on the said case. The heritage sites spread across different parts of Shillong will soon be preserved for everyone.
