Chikkodi Court Sentence: Drunk and Disorderly Offender Ordered to Plant 50 Saplings

In an innovative judicial approach towards rehabilitation and environmental conservation, the First Additional Civil and JMFC Court in Chikkodi, Belagavi district, has delivered a unique judgment in a public nuisance case. Judge Zaheer Atanoor ordered the accused, Anil Ningappa Pujari, a resident of Yaksamba town in Chikkodi taluk, to plant 50 tree saplings after he voluntarily pleaded guilty to charges of drinking alcohol in a public place and abusing passersby. The incident was originally registered at the Sadalga Police Station after Pujari created a disturbance in public. During the hearing, the court imposed a monetary fine of ₹1,000 and instructed the offender to plant and nurture 25 saplings within the Chikkodi court complex and another 25 saplings at the Sadalga police station grounds. The magistrate warned that failure to comply with the tree-planting mandate would result in 30 days of simple imprisonment. Demonstrating respect for the court’s creative sentence, Pujari, accompanied by his wife, carried out the task on August 31 by planting saplings at both designated premises. Legal experts and local residents in Chikkodi taluk have praised the judgment, highlighting how constructive social sentences can promote environmental awareness while holding offenders accountable without burdening the prison system.