Maharashtra: In a first of its kind ruling, two booked for drunken misconduct given four-day community service

On the night of December 2, two persons were caught causing public nuisance behind the Pune Municipal Corporation building by a team of night patrolling marshals from Shivaji Nagar Police station. The two persons Vinod Vasant Makode (32) and Sagar Ramkrushna Bodade (36), both residents of Akola, working daily wage jobs in Pune, were booked under BNS section 355 which pertains to misconduct in public by a drunken person. The cases were filed against the duo in the court to which they pleaded guilty. The court ordered them to perform community service of three hours each for four days.

Senior Inspector Mahesh Bolkotgi, in-charge of Shivaji Nagar police station said, “We have directed the duo to perform community service towards cleanliness of the police station premises and of assisting the traffic police in creating awareness.” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 1) Krushikesh Rawale said, “This is a first of its kind ruling after the Maharashtra government formulated rules on community service.”

In October, a court in Pune dealing with cases under Motor Vehicles Act had handed the sentence to a 28-year-old man caught drunk driving in July. In addition to a fine, the court had ordered him to print 1,000 flyers on the dangers of drunk driving and personally distribute them at traffic signals.

Section 23 of the The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 defines ‘Community service’ as the work which the Court may order a convict to perform as a form of punishment that benefits the community, for which he shall not be entitled to any remuneration.