India, July 16 -- Lawyers will meet in Mumbai on Wednesday to discuss an issue that has been hanging fire for years - the setting up of a bench of the Bombay High Court in Kolhapur. The meeting has been convened by the Advocates' Association of Western India (AAWI).

Talk of the proposed bench has been doing the rounds for a while now but the buzz has gathered momentum in the high court in recent times. If set up, the bench would cater to six districts in the state, which could ease the burden of cases on the Bombay High Court's principal bench in Mumbai.

The high court has issued no official communication about a bench in Kolhapur being under consideration, nor have the offices of the Chief Justice or Registrar General commented on the ...