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