Man fined Rs 120 for slapping cat

BHUWANESHWAR: This should be music to Maneka Gandhi���s ears. A panchayat in heartland Orissa has slapped a fine on a villager for assaulting a cat that had sneaked into his kitchen and devoured a fish.

On Tuesday, village elders at Eakarukha in Nuagaon block of Jagatsinghpur district sat to hear a strange case and delivered a rare judgment.

Village-resident Akshay Nayak had thrashed neighbour Rabindra Nayak���s pet cat, Pusi, on Sunday. Keen on a lip-smacking rice and fish meal, Akshay had purchased the fish. But even before his wife could prepare a dish, the cat sneaked in and polished the fish off.

Akshay���s wife caught Pusi in the act and informed him, who, flew into a rage, stormed Rabindra���s house and started beating the cat with a stick, causing minor head and leg injuries to the pet.

After rushing the pet to the local veterinary hospital, Ravindra threatened to file an FIR against Akshya in the police station for assaulting the cat and abusing his wife and him. That���s when fellow villagers intervened and urged him to sort the matter out at the village panchayat.

A meeting of the panchayat was convened on Tuesday to listen to the allegations. After hearing both sides of the cat and fish tale, the panchayat ruled in Rabindra���s favour and asked Akshay to cough up a fine of Rs 120 within two days.