Sheriff of Mumbai

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:

Name	Term	Known for
George Birdwood	1846 [1]	Anglo-Indian official, naturalist, and writer
Bomonji Hormusji Wadia	1858 [2]	Shipbuilding broker
Bhau Daji	1869 [3]	Physician and educationalist
Bhau Daji	1871 [3]	Physician and educationalist
Dosabhai Framji Karaka	1872 [4]	Publisher, writer and magistrate
T.G. Hewlett	1873 [2]	Physician
Narayan Daji	1875 [2]	Physician
Thomas Blaney	1876 [2] (1st term)	Physician
Atmaram Pandurang	1879 [2]	Physician
Sorabji Shapurji Bengali	1881 [5]	Banker
Raghanath Narayan Khote	1883	Merchant
Rahimtulla M. Sayani	1885	Lawyer
Dinshaw Maneckji Petit	1887	Parsi entrepreneur
Thomas Blaney	1888 [2] (2nd term)	Physician
James Douglas	1893 [6]	Banker and writer
Cowasji Hormusji	1894 [2]	Physician
Ghelabhai Haridas	1896
Sir George Cotton	1897 [7]	Businessman
Adamjee Peerbhoy	1898	Businessman
Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, Bt	1900 [2]
James Douglas	1902 [6]	Banker and writer
Sir Hurkisondas Nurrotumdas	1903 [8]	Businessman
Sir Sassoon J. David	1905 [2]	Jewish businessman
Khan Bahadur Muncherji Cowasji Murzban	1905 [2]	Architect and engineer
T.W. Cuffe	1906	Businessman
E.P. Nicholson	1907 [2]
Sir Henry B.E. Proctor	1908 [2]
Nicholas Smith Glazebrook	1909 [2]
Haji Suleman Abdul Wahed	1910 [2]
Shapurji Burjorji Broacha	1911 [2]	President of the Native Share and Stock Broker's Association
Herbert B. Greaves	1913 [2]
Meherali Fazulbhoy Chinoy	1914 [2]	Broker
Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy [2]	1915 [2]	Businessman
Sir Thomas Birkett	1917 [2]
Sir Cowasji Jehangir	1919 [2]	Merchant
Sir Purshottamdas Thakurdas	1920 [2]
Sidney Julius Gillum	1921 [2]	Merchant
Mahomedbhai Curimbhoy Ebrahim	1922 [2]
Sir Temulji Bhicaji Nariman	1923 [2]	Obstetrician
Sir Ishwardas Lakhmidas.	1924 [2]
Sir Henry P.W. Macnaghten	1925 [2]
Sir Fazulbhoy Curimbhoy	1926 [2]
Salebhoy K. Barodawala	1926 [2]
Sir Byramji Jeejeebhoy	1927 [2]	Businessman
Narayan Vishwanath Mandlik	1928 [2]
Sir Reginald Spence	1929 [2]
Bandeally Hajibhai Lalji	1930 [2]
Perozeshah J. Marzban	1931 [2]
Sir Kikabhai Premchand	1932 [2]
Sir Hugh G. Cocke	1933 [2]
Sir Suleman Cassum Mitha, CIE [9]	1934 [2]
Sir Shapoorji Billimoria	1935 [2]	Accountant
Chunilal B. Melita	1936 [2]
Sir A. G. Gray	1937 [2]
Mohamedbhoy Ibrahim Rowjee	1938 [10]	Mayor of Bombay, 1946
Phiroze C. Bharucha	1939 [10]
Mathuradas Vissanji Khimji	1940 [10]
T. Sinclair Kennedy	1941 [10]	General Manager, Glenfield and Kennedy
Mirza Rashidali Baig	1942 [10]
Jamshedji Duggan	1943 [10]	Ophthalmic surgeon
Shantidas Askuran	1944 [10]	Silk merchant
John Brownson Greaves	1945 [10]	Industrialist
A. A. Jasdenwalla	1946 [10]	Industrialist
Mithan Jamshed Lam	1947 [10]	Lawyer
Mahadeo Laxman Dahanukar	1948 [10]	Businessman
Joachim Alva	1949 [10]	Lawyer, journalist and politician
Sir Fazal Ibrahim Rahimtoola	1950 [10]
Pestonji Phiroz Shah Kapadia	1951 [10]
Ramdeo Anandilal Podar	1952 [10]
Khwaja Abdul Hamied	1953 [10]	Scientist, industrialist
Manekji Nadirshah Dalal	1954 [10]
Motichand G. Shahah	1955 [10]
Sardar Bahadur Bakshi Dalip Singh	1956 [10]
Gulestan Rustom Billimoria	1957 [10]
J. C. Jain	1958 [10]	General Manager, Times of India
Abasaheb Garware	1959 [10]	Industrialist, founder Chairman of the Garware Group
Y. A. Fazalbhoy	1960 [10]
J. D. Kothawala	1961 [10]
Frank Moraes	1962 [10]	Editor, Times of India
Ramprasad Khandelwal	1963 [10]
Appat Balkrishna Nair	1964 [10]
J. N. Heredia	1965 [10]
Gangaram Ratansi Joshi	1966 [10]
Haji Hasham Ismail	1967 [10]	Diplomat and Consul General (DR)
Shorab Kaikhushru Khan	1968 [10]
Shantaram Mahadeo Dahanukar	1969 [10]
Vijay Merchant	1970 [10]	Cricketer
Narotam Chand Puri	1971 [10]
Shadi Lal Jain	1972 [10]
Mehboob Nasrullah	1972 [10]	Social Worker
J. G. Bodhe	1973 [10]	Engineer
Kantikumar R. Podar	1974 [10]
T. V. Ramanujam	1975 [10]
Leela Moolgaokar	1976 [11]	Social worker
Anjanabai Magar	1977 [10]
Narendra Narotamdas Kapadia	1978 [10]
Ram Kumar Batra	1979 [10]	Businessman
Dilip Kumar	1980 [10]	Film actor and social worker
Bal Krishna Goyal	1981 [10]	Cardiologist
Sunil Dutt	1982 [10]	Film actor, politician and social worker
Sohrab Pirojsha Godrej	1983 [10]	Industrialist
Madhav Laxmanrao Apte	1984 [10]	Cricketer and businessman
Mohanbahai I. Patel	1985 [10]	Industrialist
Trimbak Krishnarao Tope	1986 [10]	Former principal (GLC), former vice-chancellor (Mumbai University), Constitutional expert
Sadrudin Hasan Daya	1987 [10]	Businessperson
Jahangir K. S. Nicholson	1988 [10]	Cotton merchant
Nana Chudasama	1989, 1990 [10]	Social activist
Saad Alim Bagban	1991 [10]
Homi Sethna	1991 [10]	Ex-Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission of India
Bakul Rajani Patel	1992 [10]	Businesswoman
Fakhruddin T. Khorakiwala	1993	Businessman
I. M. Kadri	1994	Architect
Sunil Gavaskar	1995	Cricketer
Subir Kumar Choudhury	1996	Businessman
Usha Kiran	1997 [12]	Actress
Kulwant Singh Kohli	1998	Restaurateur
Chandrakant Bakshi	1999	Writer
Augustine Francis Pinto	2000	Chairman, Ryan Group Of Institutions
Ashok V. Mehta	2001	Businessman
Kiran Shantaram	2002, 2003	Filmmaker
Jagannathrao Hegde	2004 [13]	Dentist
Sadruddin Daya	2005	Businessman
Vijaypat Singhania	2006	Businessman
no election	2007
Indu Shahani	2008 [14]	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 (BMC)
• Municipal Corporation Building, Mumbai (for details on the buildings architecture)
• Coat of arms of Mumbai
• Administrative divisions of Mumbai
• Mayor of Mumbai
• Municipal Commissioner of Mumbai
• Sheriff of Kolkata
• Sheriff of Madras

References

1.  Buckland, C.E. (1906). "Birdwood, Sir George Christopher Molesworth". Dictionary of Indian Biography. London: Swan Sonnenschein & Co. Lim. p. 43.
2. Directory Of Bombay City Province 1939. p. 86.
3.  Buckland, C.E. (1906). "Bhau Daji, or Ramkrishna Vital". Dictionary of Indian Biography. London: Swan Sonnenschein & Co. Lim. p. 39.
4.  Buckland, C.E. (1906). "Karaka, Dosabhai Framji". Dictionary of Indian Biography. London: Swan Sonnenschein & Co. Lim. p. 229.
5.  Buckland, C.E. (1906). "Bengali, Sorabji Shapurji". Dictionary of Indian Biography. London: Swan Sonnenschein & Co. Lim. p. 35.
6.  Buckland, C.E. (1906). "Douglas, James". Dictionary of Indian Biography. London: Swan Sonnenschein & Co. Lim. p. 122.
7.  Buckland, C.E. (1906). "Cotton, Sir George". Dictionary of Indian Biography. London: Swan Sonnenschein & Co. Lim. p. 97.
8. "The Edinburgh Gazette". thegazette.co.uk. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
9. Modern Bombay and Her Patriotic Citizens. Who's Who Publishers (India). 1941.
10. Raj Bhavan Archives (A Class Files - Permanent Record (PDF) (Report). Retrieved 29 December 2024.
11. "Leela Moolgaokar (1916-1992)". Tata Central Archives. Archived from the original on 8 January 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
12. "Actress Usha Kiran passes away at 71". The Indian Express . 10 March 2000.
13. "New sheriff wants stress-free Mumbai". MiD DAY . 23 December 2003. Retrieved 31 December 2010.
14. "Over three years on, Mumbai has no sheriff". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 12 August 2017.