Mumbai, May 29: For allegedly walking his rescued dogs on the society's grounds, a dog rescuer in a Thane housing society was hit with a hefty maintenance bill of INR 5.71 lakh, which included INR 5.14 lakh in fines. In response to a "dog-hating" resident's complaints, Subhajit Bhattacharya, who operates a dog shelter out of his bungalow in the Hawaiian Village Co-Operative Housing Society on Ghodbunder Road, says the society's managing committee has singled him out and is harassing him.

Twenty dogs, the majority of whom are paraplegic, are currently housed in Bhattacharya's home through his non-profit organisation, Shades Of Kindness Foundation, which has been in operation for more than 15 years. He claims that the animosity started when he moved into the community about a year and a half ago. On February 9, the society established a five-person compliance team to enforce the shelter's relocation and passed a resolution imposing fines solely on him for what they called "unauthorised activities." Thane: Man Promises Marriage, Cheats 73-Year-Old Woman of INR 57 Lakh and Disappears.

According to the resolution, if the activity persisted for more than 30 days, Bhattacharya would be subject to a penalty of INR 25,000 per month. The April maintenance bill also includes similar fines and pest control fees totalling more than INR 51,000. A notice sent to him on April 9 said the society blamed his home for unsanitary cooking methods that resulted in a rodent problem in neighbouring gardens. He accused his dogs of causing a nuisance by howling and wailing late at night. Thane Residents Allegedly Find Parts of Dead Animals Coming out of Drinking Water Supplied to Them (See Pics).

The society also forewarned him about the need to pay for the installation of concrete flooring, noise barriers, and pest control measures around his bungalow. However, Bhattacharya maintains that, like other members, he is entitled to use the common areas to walk his dogs. They have transformed this into a kangaroo court. "Despite the fact that many of my dogs require walks for medical reasons, I am compelled to refrain from doing so," he told The Free Press Journal.

Bhattacharya refused to accept the charges, stating that he would not pay the fine and would only pay the regular maintenance in protest. Additionally, since the society has not offered a breakdown of the so-called miscellaneous charges, he intends to contest the resolution legally.

 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 29, 2025 12:06 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).