No jail, just trees: Karnataka man ordered to plant 50 saplings for drunken misconduct

A man in Karnataka’s Belagavi was recently ordered to plant 50 saplings and pay a Rs 1,000 fine after being found creating a nuisance while drunk. On August 25, the local court ordered Anil Ningappa Pujari to plant 25 trees at the court and 25 trees at the Sadalaga police station as community service.

The court also said he could get free legal aid, but he said he did not want to engage a counsel or avail any help. On March 23, Sadalaga police head constable Madhusudan GS was on patrolling duty when he got a call from a woman, saying her husband was assaulting her and was creating a nuisance.

"We rushed to the spot and found Pujari under the influence of alcohol. He was abusing everyone in filthy language and also making gestures. We tried to convince him, but he did not listen. His wife initially wanted to file a complaint, but then she did not," Madhusudan said.

Later, the Sadalaga police charged Pujari for performing obscene acts or songs and misconduct in public while drunk under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Pujari appeared before the court, and he pleaded guilty after the police filed a charge sheet.

Community service was not recognised as a punishment under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), but the BNS introduced it to promote reformative and restorative justice.