After 3 Years, Delhi Police File FIR Against Its Officer For Assaulting Street Dog

Following the direction of a city court, the Delhi Police has registered an FIR against its officer, who allegedly thrashed a street dog with a stick in northeast Delhi's Jafrabad area in January 2022. Police have begun an investigation into the matter after registering the FIR on August 7, over three years after the alleged incident.

The matter relates to a video that had surfaced on social media, purportedly showing a uniformed policeman repeatedly hitting a street dog as it lay motionless with a stick (lathi) near Gali No. 44 in Jafrabad, on January 10, 2022.

The footage had triggered unrest among animal welfare activists and local residents. Complainants Dr Asher Jesudoss, Sunayana Sibal and Akshita Kukreja, all animal welfare advocates, claimed that despite filing written complaints with senior officers shortly after the incident, no action was taken initially. The injured dog, affectionately called 'Jaffy' by some locals and animal lovers, was treated at the Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centre. A medical report stated that the animal had suffered "extreme trauma" including torn eyelids, cuts, swelling, and hypothermia.

Follow-up veterinary X-rays also revealed fractures and joint damage. Earlier, police maintained that the officer involved acted in self-defence after being bitten by the dog once.

After three years of legal struggle by the activists, the Karkardooma court, while ordering the FIR, noted that the video placed on record appeared to show the dog lying motionless when the canine was struck. Following the FIR, a senior police officer told PTI that the matter is under investigation, and they are looking into all the facts of the case.

However, no action has been taken against the officer so far. "The materials submitted are being checked for authenticity, including digital verification. Vigilance inquiry and all required steps will also be conducted, and complainants are being consulted for further evidence," he said.

"After three years and two court orders, the police have finally registered an FIR in the Jaffy cruelty case," Dr Asher Jesudoss, the complainant, said, adding that the court has also asked the deputy commissioner of police (Northeast) for the compliance report.