India, July 12 -- The Bombay high court on Thursday directed the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) to reconstruct the finial (ornamental device atop a building) of the JN Petit Institute, an iconic neo-gothic structure on DN Road in Fort. The nearly 100-year-old finial had collapsed in 2017 during drilling and construction work for the Hutatma Chowk metro station.

The institute's building, which houses a public library, is classified as a grade II-A heritage structure, accorded to buildings/ precincts of regional or local importance which are recognised for their special architectural/ aesthetic merit, or cultural/ historical significance. The structure was restored in 2014-15 and received the UNESCO Award of Distinction for ...