Bengali TV actor couple ‘assaulted’ over feeding of stray dogs in Kolkata, police say probing the incident

“Our staff member, Chandan, regularly feeds dogs over there. At first, the locals, sitting inside a club, came out and alleged that since a dog had bitten one of the residents, we could not feed them anymore. My husband (Indranil) tried to speak to them and make them understand, when suddenly some of the people started assaulting Chandan,” Sayantani told The Indian Express over the phone.

“My husband tried to reason with them and also save the staff member when he was also assaulted. One of them also threatened me, which I have recorded… They actually laid hands on me. While stopping us, they got physical — something that is completely unacceptable,” added Sayantani, who had gone live on Facebook during the alleged confrontation.

“I could have had a second stroke,” the actor, who had recently recovered from a stroke, said, adding that other residents intervened to calm down the situation.

The actor said her husband, Indranil, and staff member, Chandan, who sustained injuries, were taken to Bangur Hospital for primary treatment.

“We never thought this could happen – assaulting for feeding the strays, which is the right of every human being. We are still coming to terms with the entire incident,” she said.

The actor couple, both in their 30s, are well-known pet lovers. According to her, people who assaulted them alleged that the number of stray dogs had multiplied in the area in recent months, and told the couple to take care of all the dogs in the area, instead of just feeding them.

Meanwhile, police said that they are probing the incident.

“We have received a complaint, and are investigating the matter. Statements of both sides will be recorded. We are scanning the CCTV footage of the incident,” a senior police officer at Kasba Police Station said, adding no one has been arrested so far.

According to her neighbours, the residents were unhappy with the littering of the place by the actor couple, leading to an increase in the number of stray dogs in the area. The neighbours also said the stray dogs were not sterilised, as residents were wary of the dogs biting their children.

Following the Supreme Court’s order for the removal of stray dogs in the Delhi-NCR region, the West Bengal government, earlier this month, came out with a standard operating protocol (SOP) for feeding street dogs in a bid to promote a safer and more organized approach to animal welfare.

The SOP stated that civic bodies in the state would designate areas where one could feed stray dogs and also earmark the time – before 7 am and after 7 pm. The caregivers have to clean the area after each use as well as follow the dietary guidelines, such as what food can be given to stray dogs.

The SOP states that the civic bodies in the state would earmark “These designated areas shouldn’t be near any area where children play, or where people take walks, or crowded areas in front of any individual’s house, shop, or building. Also, they shouldn’t compromise the width of the road or footpath,” the SOP stated.

Additionally, it included penalty provisions for both animal lovers violating the SOP and those resisting the animal lovers. Feeding stray dogs beyond the ‘designated area’ is a punishable offence under existing municipal laws, the SOP mentioned, and added that “no one can prohibit or harass or resist any caregiver who is feeding a community dog or dogs following the manner and conditions as specified in the SOP”.

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