Landmark Judgment: Pune Court Orders Community Service as Punishment
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Shivajinagar, 8th December 2025: In a landmark judgment, a court in Shivajinagar has imposed community service as punishment for two accused — reportedly the first such sentence under the state government’s new community-service rule, informed DCP (Zone 1) Krushikesh Rawale.
According to the order by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) of Shivajinagar Court, the accused — Sagar Ramkrishna Bodade (in case 199017/2025) and Vinod Vasant Makode (in case 199027/2025) — have been sentenced under BNS Section 355. The court directed that each must perform three hours of community service daily for four days under supervision of the investigating officers at Shivajinagar Police Station.
The decision follows the new Maharashtra (Community Service as Punishment for Certain Offences) Rules, 2025 introduced by the state government, which allows community service as an alternative to traditional punishments for certain offences.
On December 2, 2025, at around 9:15 pm, police constables Makhare and Tayade were patrolling behind the Pune Municipal Corporation building when they found Makode (32) and Bodde (36), both residents of Sangvi Khurd in Akola, consuming alcohol and behaving indecently in a public place.
Following a complaint registered at the police station, two non-cognizable offences were registered.
The cases were presented before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Vikramsingh Bhandari, at the Shivajinagar Court. Both accused admitted to the charges. Considering their plea, the court sentenced each of them to four days of community service, with three hours of duty per day, to be carried out under the supervision of the Shivajinagar Police Station staff.
The investigation was monitored by DCP Rawale and Senior Police Inspector Mahesh Bolkotgi, in-charge of Shivajinagar police station.
