MUMBAI, Oct. 28 -- In a major development, the state law and judiciary department has granted administrative approval to demolish the ageing Mulund court building, one of the oldest government structures in Mumbai's eastern suburbs, and construct a modern 12-storey complex with a two-level basement on the same site. Officials said the existing court, built in 1945 and located near Mulund College of Commerce, caters to several police stations in the eastern suburbs. Over the years, the building had fallen into severe disrepair, with portions of the ceiling and slabs reportedly collapsing, though no major injuries were reported. The new court complex will also house a vulnerable witness deposition centre and a Lok Adalat, according to the state's approval issued on Monday. The project, estimated to cost Rs.86.97 crore, aims to provide a safer and more efficient environment for judicial and administrative functions. The decision follows a prolonged legal battle over the building's dilapidated condition. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Santosh Dubey in the Bombay High Court highlighted the structural dangers, citing multiple instances of falling debris. In response, a division bench of then Chief justices DK Upadhyaya and Arif Doctor noted that while proposals for reconstruction had begun as early as 2013, "nothing concrete had progressed so far." Quoting the Technical Audit Report, the bench had observed that the building was "techno-economically unfeasible," urging the state to expedite construction of a new facility. Local MLA Mihir Kotecha, who had written to the government last year requesting reconstruction, welcomed the move. "Over 500 government employees work here, and more than 1,000 citizens visit daily for court and revenue-related matters. The chief minister had personally intervened in May to clear pending formalities. I'm happy that this 25-year-old issue has finally been resolved, and Mulund will soon have a new, state-of-the-art court," he said....