Chikkodi Court Orders Public Nuisance Offender to Plant 50 Saplings as Unique Punishment

In a notable judgment promoting environmental responsibility, the First Additional Civil Judge and JMFC Court in Chikkodi, Belagavi district, directed a man accused of creating a public nuisance under the influence of alcohol to plant 50 saplings instead of serving jail time. The case pertained to Anil Ningappa Pujari, a resident of Yaksamba town in Chikkodi taluk, who was booked by the Sadalga police for creating a drunken disturbance on a village street and using abusive language in public. When the matter came up for hearing before Magistrate Zaheer Atanoor, the accused voluntarily confessed to his offence. Evaluating the nature of the crime, the court imposed a fine of ₹1,000 along with an eco-friendly community service condition: planting 25 saplings on the Chikkodi court premises and another 25 saplings at the Sadalga police station compound. The court stipulated that failure to complete and maintain the plantation work would result in 30 days of simple imprisonment. Complying with the civic sentence, the offender planted all 50 saplings alongside his wife. The innovative ruling has garnered widespread praise from local residents and legal fraternity members across Chikkodi for combining penal justice with environmental conservation.