Mumbai Police have registered the city’s first case related to feeding pigeons in public spaces, following a complaint filed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The FIR has been lodged at the Mahim police station against an unidentified individual for allegedly violating a Bombay High Court order by feeding pigeons near two key pigeon-feeding areas in the city.
According to police officials, the incident occurred near the Domino’s Pizza outlet on L.J. Road and close to the Hinduja Hospital pigeon enclosure in Mahim. It is alleged that an unidentified person arrived on a two-wheeler and scattered food for the pigeons at these locations. The BMC subsequently filed a complaint against the unidentified person, citing contempt of a court order banning such acts due to their adverse impact on public health.
Based on the complaint, the Mahim police booked the person under Sections 223 (breach of trust), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection), and 271 (disobedience to quarantine rule) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The FIR comes in the wake of strong directions issued by the Bombay High Court to the civic body on Thursday. The court had ordered the BMC to file criminal complaints against individuals who feed pigeons and obstruct civic staff trying to enforce the pigeon-feeding ban.
A division bench comprising Justice Girish Kulkarni and Justice Arif Doctor had stated that no misinterpretation of the court’s order should be made and emphasized that nothing can be more important than public health. The bench also clarified that the interim stay on demolition drives at pigeon enclosures (kabutarkhanas) across Mumbai will remain in effect until the next hearing.
The court had further directed the BMC to implement effective measures to ensure that no food or grains are scattered near kabutarkhanas and to act decisively to safeguard the health of Mumbaikars. These directives align with the Maharashtra government’s earlier instructions to the civic body during the monsoon session of the state legislature, which called for an immediate campaign to shut down pigeon enclosures in the city due to health risks.
In response, the BMC had already taken action at the Dadar West kabutarkhana, removing unauthorized structures and clearing all pigeon feed. Similar operations have since been extended to other kabutarkhanas in Mumbai.
However, opposing these civic actions, three animal lovers—Pallavi Patil, Sneha Visraria, and Savita Mahajan moved the Bombay High Court challenging the crackdown.
The court maintained that feeding large groups of pigeons is a public nuisance and poses a serious health hazard. “Such acts amount to public disturbance and can spread diseases, putting human life at risk,” the court observed in its order. It further empowered the BMC to take strict action and file cases against anyone who continues to feed pigeons in defiance of civic and judicial orders.