Aurangabad-Osmanabad Name Change: Supreme Court Upholds Maharashtra Government's Decision

The Supreme Court on Friday, August 2, gave the green light to the Maharashtra government's decision to rename the cities of Aurangabad and Osmanabad. The state government had decided to change Aurangabad's name to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Osmanabad's name to Dharashiv. This decision faced legal challenges, which were ultimately dismissed by the Supreme Court.

The petitioners had initially approached the Bombay High Court, which upheld the state government's decision, finding no legal infirmity in it. Following the High Court's ruling, the petitioners escalated the matter to the Supreme Court, hoping for a favorable judgment. However, the Supreme Court dismissed the petition, thereby endorsing the Maharashtra government's decision.

The Supreme Court stated that the power to rename cities lies with the government and does not typically require judicial review. The court emphasized that the High Court had already considered the petitioners' arguments in detail and issued a comprehensive order, which did not warrant further intervention.

Previously, on May 8, the Bombay High Court had upheld the state government's decision, stating it was legally sound. With the Supreme Court's recent ruling, the Maharashtra government's decision to rename Aurangabad as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Osmanabad as Dharashiv has been validated.