Delhi: Protests continue over SC order on dogs

Protesters, largely animal rights activists and dog lovers, said they were assaulted by Delhi Police personnel at the site

Protesters gathered at Central Park near India Gate on Saturday evening against the Supreme Court's recent order to shift all street dogs in the city to shelters.

Animal lovers during a protest against the recent order by the Supreme Court to authorities in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) to start picking up stray dogs from all localities and relocate the animals to dog shelters, at Connaught Place (PTI)

Protesters, largely animal rights activists and dog lovers, said they had assembled around 6pm with banners and were assaulted by Delhi Police personnel at the site.

“Security personnel came to us and asked us to leave. All the exits of Central Park were shut and only one exit gate was open. While we were leaving through the only exit gate, they started assaulting us, even women. We were stuffed inside a few buses and later released at Jantar Mantar and Jhandewalan at around 7–7.30pm,” Divya Puri, co-founder of the Karan Puri Foundation, said.

Purported videos circulated on social media by the group showed uniformed officials hitting protesters and dragging them into buses. Activists said women were also subjected to verbal abuse and assault.

“The protesters were gathered peacefully. The police deployment was as much as the people gathered there. They abused and assaulted us and tried to tear our clothes. Is gathering peacefully also banned now?” asked Tarana Singh, another activist.

A senior Delhi Police officer, meanwhile, said holding protests inside Central Park is prohibited and the gathering had no permission to do so. The protesters allegedly charged at officers first and the police retaliated, the officer added.

An FIR under Section 223 (disobedience of order by a public servant) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has been registered against the protesters, the fifth such case in connection with similar demonstrations.

Deputy commissioner of police (New Delhi) Devesh Kumar Mahla said Section 163 (issuing orders in urgent cases of nuisance) of the BNSS has been imposed in New Delhi area because of the ongoing parliament session. “We are bound by law to take action when there is a protest at places which are not designated for protests,” he said.

When asked about videos of a female sub-inspector hitting a protester inside a detention bus, the first officer claimed that an inquiry was initiated and it was found that the protester had struck first, following which the SI retaliated.