Mumbai court has convicted a 52-year-old businessman and fined him Rs 5,000 for feeding pigeons in a public place, calling the act a health hazard likely to spread diseases, months after the BMC banned pigeon feeding across the city
A man feeds pigeons at the kabutarkhana in Dadar West in July. Pic/Satej Shinde
Months after the controversy between the residents of Mumbai and civic authorities in view of pigeon feeding, a court has convicted a businessman and directed him to pay a fine of Rs 5,000 for feeding pigeons in a public place. The Mumbai court, while ruling out the order, said that his act was “likely to spread infections of diseases dangerous to life.”
The order came months after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation banned the feeding of pigeons in most parts of the city, citing public nuisance and health hazards to people.
As reported by news agency PTI, Dadar resident Nitin Sheth (52) was held for offering grains to pigeons at the now-shut 'kabutarkhana' (pigeon feeding station) in the city's Mahim area on August 1.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate V. U. Misal (Bandra) convicted Sheth on December 22 after he voluntarily pleaded guilty to the charges and sought leniency.
Accepting his plea, the court sentenced Nitin Sheth to pay a fine of Rs 5,000. The magistrate, while passing the order, also charged him for acts causing danger to human life, health or safety and violating a government order under Section 223 (b) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The accused was also charged under BNS Section 271 for a negligent act likely to spread infection of a disease dangerous to life.
Bombay High Court banned pigeon feeding in August
Earlier in August, the Bombay High Court observed the issue was over public health and the grave and potential health hazard to people of all ages at large.
The court had previously restrained the BMC from demolishing any of the old heritage kabutarkhanas in the metropolis but refused to allow feeding of the birds, as per the PTI.
Days after agitators removed a tarpaulin cover from a 'kabutarkhana' (pigeon feeding spot) in Mumbai's Dadar area, the city civic body again covered it with plastic sheets.
Maharashtra minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha later claimed Jain community members had no role in the protest at the popular pigeon feeding spot. The minister had also clarified that there was no religious angle to the pigeon feeding issue.
However, the BMC on Sunday again covered the ‘kabutarkhana’ with plastic sheets.
The civic authority repaired the damaged bamboo cladding at the spot before putting silver-coloured plastic sheets on the pigeon feeding area, located on the west side of Dadar station, the officials said.
To avoid any law and order issues and prevent people from feeding the birds, security at the site was also stepped up for a few days in August.
(With inputs from PTI)
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