In what could be a big boost for animal welfare in the state, the Mahabaleshwar civil court on July 18 rejected the claim of one Nurulain Abdul Karim Shaikh over late animal lover Janice Smith’s property in Panchgani.
In what could be a big boost for animal welfare in the state, the Mahabaleshwar civil court on July 18 rejected the claim of one Nurulain Abdul Karim Shaikh over late animal lover Janice Smith’s property in Panchgani.
The court directed the Panchgani Hill Municipal Council (PHMC) to allow the Janice Smith Animal Welfare Trust (JSAWT) to run an animal shelter on the 2-acre property. According to Manoj Oswal, animal welfare officer, Bombay high court committee for animal welfare, the late Janice Smith, an Englishwoman, continued to live in Panchgani even after the British left India in 1947. Janice, who chose to remain single, had no siblings or family in India and ran a shelter for stray dogs, cows, horses, cats and mules on her property till she died in March 17, 2010, aged 69.
A group of Panchgani animal lvers stepped in to care for the several hundred animals that were orphaned overnight. However, Oswal said Shaikh and his men took over the property and barred the animals lovers.
According to Oswal, several NGOs from Pune, Mumbai and Thane joined the battle and assisted in the formation of JSAWT, which approached the PHMC for help, as the property technically belonged to the council.
JSAWT volunteer Ekta Gaikwad told DNA from Panchgani on Friday that following their request, the PHMC chief officer, Asha Raut, sealed the property on July 4 this year. According to Gaikwad, Shaikh moved the court on July 8 making a claim over the property. This led the PHMC and the JSAWT to file an appeal.
Oswal said the court on July 18 took into consideration the rights of municipal council and the directions of the state government to set up animal shelters. “It also looked into the efforts taken by the animal lovers in treatment and care of animals,’’ Oswal said.
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