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 and Kolkata 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:
S. No.NameTermKnown for
1George Birdwood1846Anglo-Indian official, naturalist, and writer
2Bomonji Hormusji Wadia1858Shipbuilding broker
3Bhau Daji1869Physician and educationalist
4Bhau Daji1871Physician and educationalist
5Dosabhai Framji Karaka1872Publisher, writer and magistrate
6T.G. Hewlett1873Physician
7Narayan Daji1875Physician
8Thomas Blaney1876 Physician
9Atmaram Pandurang1879Physician
10Sorabji Shapurji Bengali1881Banker
11Raghanath Narayan Khote1883Merchant
12Rahimtulla M. Sayani1885Lawyer
13Dinshaw Maneckji Petit1887Parsi entrepreneur
14Thomas Blaney1888 Physician
15James Douglas1893Banker and writer
16Cowasji Hormusji1894Physician
17Ghelabhai Haridas1896
18Sir George Cotton1897Businessman
19Adamjee Peerbhoy1898Businessman
20Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, Bt1900
21James Douglas1902Banker and writer
21Sir Hurkisondas Nurrotumdas1903Businessman
22Sir Sassoon J. David1905Jewish businessman
23Khan Bahadur Muncherji Cowasji Murzban1905Architect and engineer
24T.W. Cuffe1906Businessman
25E.P. Nicholson1907
26Sir Henry B.E. Proctor1908
27Nicholas Smith Glazebrook1909
28Haji Suleman Abdul Wahed1910
29Shapurji Burjorji Broacha1911President of the Native Share and Stock Broker's Association
30Herbert B. Greaves1913
Meherali Fazulbhoy Chinoy1914Broker
Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy1915Businessman
Sir Thomas Birkett1917
Sir Cowasji Jehangir1919Merchant
Sir Purshottamdas Thakurdas1920
Sidney Julius Gillum1921Merchant
Mahomedbhai Curimbhoy Ebrahim1922
Sir Temulji Bhicaji Nariman1923Obstetrician
Sir Ishwardas Lakhmidas.1924
Sir Henry P.W. Macnaghten1925
Sir Fazulbhoy Curimbhoy1926
Salebhoy K. Barodawala1926
Sir Byramji Jeejeebhoy1927Businessman
Narayan Vishwanath Mandlik1928
Sir Reginald Spence1929
Bandeally Hajibhai Lalji1930
Perozeshah J. Marzban1931
Sir Kikabhai Premchand1932
Sir Hugh G. Cocke1933
Sir Suleman Cassum Mitha, CIE1934
Sir Shapoorji Billimoria1935Accountant
Chunilal B. Melita1936
Sir A. G. Gray1937
Mohamedbhoy Ibrahim Rowjee1938Mayor of Bombay, 1946
Phiroze C. Bharucha1939
Mathuradas Vissanji Khimji1940
T. Sinclair Kennedy1941General Manager, Glenfield and Kennedy
Mirza Rashidali Baig1942
Jamshedji Duggan1943Ophthalmic surgeon
Shantidas Askuran1944Silk merchant
John Brownson Greaves1945Industrialist
A. A. Jasdenwalla1946Industrialist
Mithan Jamshed Lam1947Lawyer
Mahadeo Laxman Dahanukar1948Businessman
Joachim Alva1949Lawyer, journalist and politician
Sir Fazal Ibrahim Rahimtoola1950
Pestonji Phiroz Shah Kapadia1951
Ramdeo Anandilal Podar1952
Khwaja Abdul Hamied1953Scientist, industrialist
Manekji Nadirshah Dalal1954
Motichand G. Shahah1955
Sardar Bahadur Bakshi Dalip Singh1956
Gulestan Rustom Billimoria1957
J. C. Jain1958General Manager, Times of India
Abasaheb Garware1959Industrialist, founder Chairman of the Garware Group
Y. A. Fazalbhoy1960
J. D. Kothawala1961
Frank Moraes1962Editor, Times of India
Ramprasad Khandelwal1963
Appat Balkrishna Nair1964
J. N. Heredia1965
Gangaram Ratansi Joshi1966
Haji Hasham Ismail1967Diplomat and Consul General
Shorab Kaikhushru Khan1968
Shantaram Mahadeo Dahanukar1969
Vijay Merchant1970Cricketer
Narotam Chand Puri1971
Shadi Lal Jain1972
Mehboob Nasrullah1972Social Worker
J. G. Bodhe1973Engineer
Kantikumar R. Podar1974
T. V. Ramanujam1975
Leela Moolgaokar1976Social worker
Anjanabai Magar1977
Narendra Narotamdas Kapadia1978
Ram Kumar Batra1979Businessman
Dilip Kumar1980Film actor and social worker
Bal Krishna Goyal1981Cardiologist
Sunil Dutt1982Film actor, politician and social worker
Sohrab Pirojsha Godrej1983Industrialist
Madhav Laxmanrao Apte1984Cricketer and businessman
1985Industrialist
Trimbak Krishnarao Tope1986Former principal, former vice-chancellor, Constitutional expert
Sadrudin Hasan Daya1987Businessperson
Jahangir K. S. Nicholson1988Cotton merchant
Nana Chudasama1989, 1990Social activist
Saad Alim Bagban1991
Homi Sethna1991Ex-Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission of India
Bakul Rajani Patel1992Businesswoman
Fakhruddin T. Khorakiwala1993Businessman
I. M. Kadri1994Architect
Sunil Gavaskar1995Cricketer
Subir Kumar Choudhury1996Businessman
Usha Kiran1997Actress
Kulwant Singh Kohli1998Restaurateur
Chandrakant Bakshi1999Writer
Augustine Francis Pinto2000Chairman, Ryan Group Of Institutions
Ashok V. Mehta2001Businessman
Kiran Shantaram2002, 2003Filmmaker
Jagannathrao Hegde2004Dentist
Sadruddin Daya2005Businessman
Vijaypat Singhania2006Businessman
no election2007
Indu Shahani2008Academic
no election
Abdul Munaf Kazi, Deputy Sheriff of Mumbai,
served as acting sheriff of Mumbai
2009–2013
Satish Chitgopekar2016Academic