SHILLONG, June 18: The Meghalaya High Court has disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning the Laban Circuit House (also known as Bidhan Bhavan or Roy Villa) after the state government decided to install a bust and plaque of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy at the premises.
The PIL was filed pursuant to a letter dated November 12, 2025, from Malabika Bisharad, who sought protection of the building citing its historical importance after the government proposed demolition of portions of the iconic building.
She claimed that the structure, built in the early 1920s, had been visited by eminent personalities including Rabindranath Tagore and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
During the proceedings, the Meghalaya Heritage Authority examined the site and concluded that the Circuit House does not meet the criteria for declaration as a heritage site under the Meghalaya Heritage Regulations, 2013. The building was also found to be in a dilapidated condition.
Considering these facts, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh suggested installing a bust and plaque in honour of Bharat Ratna Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy.
The PWD (Building) submitted a report confirming that the bust and plaque would be installed in a symmetrical garden setting at Laban Circuit House. Photographs and details of the plan were placed on record.
In view of the steps taken by the state government, the Court observed that nothing further survives for consideration in the PIL and disposed of the matter.
