A Mumbai court has found a businessman guilty of feeding pigeons in a public place and fined him INR 5,000. The court said the act was likely to spread diseases dangerous to human life. The order came months after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) banned pigeon feeding.
The accused was identified as Nitin Sheth, a 52-year-old resident of Dadar. He was arrested on August 1 for feeding pigeons with grains at a kabutarkhana in the Mahim area. The pigeon feeding site had been closed.
Sheth pleaded guilty. He also sought leniency from the court and said that his plea was voluntary. On December 22, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate V. U. Misal of the Bandra court accepted the plea and convicted him. The court decided that a monetary fine would be enough.
The magistrate held Sheth guilty of violating a government order under Section 223(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. He was also convicted for acts that endangered human life, health, or safety. In addition, the court found him guilty under Section 271 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for an act that could spread a life-threatening disease.
The case was registered at the Mahim police station. A charge sheet was filed, and throughout the proceedings, Sheth maintained his guilty plea and requested a lighter punishment.
The High Court had earlier restrained the BMC from demolishing historic kabutarkhanas but had also barred the feeding of pigeons at these sites. But after protests, the civic body covered a kabutarkhana in the Dadar area with plastic sheets.