Protests over SC stray dog order: Delhi Police lodges 4 FIRs, two for assault on cops
An official source said no arrest has been made in any of the cases, but notices will soon be served to those allegedly involved in assaulting police personnel.
3 min read
At the protest outside Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi. (Express photo by Amit Mehra)The past week saw massive protests in Delhi against the Supreme Court order to relocate all stray dogs from the streets to shelters in the national capital and NCR cities.
Now, the Delhi Police has registered at least four separate FIRs in connection with the incidents. Two of these cases invoke sections related to obstructing and assaulting police personnel while discharging their duty.
According to an official source, no arrest has been made in any of the cases, but notices will soon be served to those allegedly involved in assaulting policemen.
The first FIR was filed at Kartavya Path police station after a group gathered near Parliament soon after the top court’s August 11 order.
The second was lodged at Connaught Place police station on August 12, following a protest. In this case, a 56-second video clip went viral on social media showing a woman sub-inspector purportedly getting into a scuffle with a woman protester inside a bus while demonstraters were being detained.
The third FIR was registered at Tughlak Road police station after a protest march was held near Lodhi Garden on Wednesday evening. It was filed after a purported one-minute video surfaced on social media the following day, showing protesters allegedly misbehaving with an inspector-level officer.
The fourth FIR was registered on Friday against protesters for gathering at Connaught Place. They were later detained while attempting to march towards Parliament.
A senior officer said that when the Parliament is in session, Section 163 (earlier section 144 CrPC) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) is imposed across the New Delhi district.
“Jantar Mantar is the designated place for any protest, which can be held after permission is granted. The cases were registered as per the law and legal action was initiated,” the officer said.
On August 11, a bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan directed the Delhi government, the municipal corporation and the administrations of Noida, Gurgaon, and Ghaziabad to shift stray dogs to dedicated shelters. The bench stressed that the canines should not be released back onto the streets, once relocated. The court also stated that individuals and organisations could face action if they obstructed the relocation process.
On August 14, a three-judge bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N V Anjaria reserved its order on petitions seeking a stay on the directive. The bench said it would pass an interim order after hearing arguments from all sides.
Several demonstrators have expressed concern over the implementation of the order, warning against “grim consequences” for the animals.
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