Woman feeding stray animals accused of hurting religious sentiments

In most cities in India, quarrels between humans who take their constitutional duty to look after animals seriously and those who think of the action as a nuisance are common. Now, one self-proclaimed social worker in South Bombay has taken the matter to a new level by claiming that a woman who feeds animals in her area was doing so to hurt religious sentiments.

Following the social worker’s complaint, officers of the Gamdevi police station have booked a woman who allegedly fed meat to stray dogs and cats on a public street near the Mahalaxmi temple for “desecrating the place of worship” and “hurting the religious sentiments” of local residents, The Indian Express newspaper reported.

Following repeated complaints by Sheela Shah, a committee of two municipal veterinary officers and two police officers was set up and the animal lover, Nandini Belekar, was told not to feed the strays meat, but she allegedly ignored the instruction.

A police officer told the newspaper that the matter was being investigated as the complainant had accused Belekar of purposely feeding mutton, chicken and fish to stray animals on the road where people queue up for darshan at the temple, thus “defiling” the area and “hurting the sentiments” of those going barefoot to the shrine. Shah has clicked photos of Belekar feeding the animals and submitted them to the police.

Belekar and her friend Pallavi Patil have been booked under sections 295 (injuring or defiling a place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class), 295(A) (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

The panel set up to the look into the matter decided that Belekar should feed the strays only dry food at a fixed location after 10 pm. But she did not follow the instruction. When some residents confronted her, Belekar called Patil, who allegedly abused them and threatened to lodge false complaints.