Mumbai: A dog rescuer in Thane has been fined a whopping Rs 5.5 lakh by its housing society for taking his dogs out on walks. While the society has officially passed a resolution to levy a fine on the rescuer against taking his dogs on a walk citing nuisance created by his dogs, he alleged that the society’s managing committee has been harassing him on directions of a “dog-hating” member.
The maintenance bill for the month of May worth Rs 5.71 lakh came as a shocker for Subhajit Bhattacharya, a resident of Hawaiian Village Co-Op Housing Society located at Thane’s Ghodbunder Road. Looking at the bill’s details, which included miscellaneous charges worth Rs 5.14 lakhs, he instantly realised that the whopping amount was for taking his rescued dogs out on a walk, an activity banned only for him by the society.
Bhattacharya runs a dog shelter NGO called ‘Shades Of Kindness Foundation’ from his residence which houses 20 dogs, most of which are paraplegic. While his animal welfare activities have been ongoing for over 15 years, he alleged that the harassment started from the society soon after he moved in one and a half years back.
In a special general meeting held by the society on February 9, it had unanimously passed the resolution to impose a fine exclusively on Bhattacharya for “unauthorised activities in the society complex.” A five-member team was also constituted to ensure compliance and relocation of the activity within 30 days.
It had also resolved that if the activity is not discontinued within 30 days, a penalty of Rs25,000 would be imposed on him every month. The maintenance bill for April also amounted to Rs51,370 which included miscellaneous charges, fine and pest control charges.
In a notice served to Bhattacharya on April 9, the society alleged the shelter dogs of creating nuisance by wailing and howling during the night. It also alleged the bungalow’s owner of unhygienic cooking practices leading to rodent infestation in a neighbouring garden.
The society had informed him that it will conduct a pest control in the area and will bill Bhattacharya for the cost incurred. It has also warned of installing sound barriers and concrete flooring around adjacent bungalows to reduce noise and contamination, at Bhattacharya’s expense.
Talking to The Free Press Journal, Bhattacharya said, “Since a lot of my dogs have spine issues, I have to mandatorily take them for a walk but now I am being forced against it. It is my lawful right to use the common area of the society to walk my dogs just like other members do but I am being particularly targeted by the society, on the directions of a dog-hating member. They have turned the society into a kangaroo court where they will decide my mistakes and my punishments.”
Bhattacharya added that he would pay maintenance under protest, without paying the fines and challenge them legally since the society has not provided him with the breakup of the miscellaneous charges as requested by him. The Free Press Journal contacted Rahul Khandelwal, the secretary of Hawaiian Society, but he failed to respond.
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