Rajasthan Notifies 15 Community Service Punishments For Minor Crimes; Cleaning, Tree Plantation, Library Work Among Alternatives To Jail

Jaipur: In Rajasthan, one may have to clean the public or religious places, water trees, or arrange books in public libraries or trolleys in hospitals as punishment for contempt of court, public misbehavior, theft of less than Rs 5000, suicide attempts, and other minor crimes.

15 Community Service Punishments Notified

The state of Rajasthan, in consultation with the Rajasthan High Court, has notified 15 community service punishments for minor and non-violent crimes like misdeeds of government employees, contempt of court, public misbehavior, misconduct in public by drunk persons, theft of less than Rs 5000, suicide attempts, defamation, and others. Besides 15 notified punishments, the court may decide any other public service as punishment as it deems fit in the given case.

Legal Backing Under New Criminal Codes

The notification from the state government states that these community service punishments have been decided as per clause (f) of section 4 of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant provisions of the Bhartiya Nagorik Surksha Sanhita in consultation with the Rajasthan High Court. The notification has come into force with immediate effect.

Courts To Decide Place & Duration

The place and duration of the sentence are to be decided by the court given the merits of the case. Officers have also been designated to monitor the punishments.

Rehabilitation, Not Just Punishment

“These punishments can be given as an alternative to a traditional sentence or in addition to it. Its purpose is to rehabilitate criminals and give them an opportunity to contribute to society,” said the officials of the Department of Home.

Types Of Community Services Included

The community services that have been notified as punishment include cleaning and maintenance of the ward and its surroundings in the hospital, trolley management, or assistance in the operation theater at the time of an accident.

Cleaning and maintenance of equipment, service in old age homes, planting trees, watering plants, removing weeds, and maintenance work in the forest department, clerical assistance along with cleaning and maintenance of the zoo-museum, and helping the staff in cleanliness in cities and villages.

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Library, Schools, and Civic Work Also Covered

Besides this, cleaning of classrooms, libraries, laboratories, playgrounds, and other places in educational institutions; arranging books; making lists of books; and any clerical help in libraries.

District Legal Services Authority, District or Taluka Office, cleaning of parks, help in traffic management, maintenance of public buildings, police station premises, public parks, municipal bodies, panchayat parks and open spaces, and water bodies have been notified as community service punishments.