Protests erupt at Delhi's Rohini ABC centre over alleged cruelty to stray dogs
Videos shared on social media show police using lathis to disperse protestors, who were demanding entry into the ABC centre north Delhi’s Rohini Sector 27
New Delhi: Protests broke out at the Animal Birth Control (ABC) centre in north Delhi’s Rohini Sector 27 late on Friday night after dog activists and locals alleged inhumane treatment of captured stray dogs.
Multiple videos were widely shared on social media showing police using lathis to control and disperse protestors, who were demanding entry into the ABC centre to gather proof of the alleged treatment of strays brought in for sterilisation. A few protestors were also forcefully removed from the site and taken into police custody.
Jiya Saklani, an activist who was part of the protest — which continued till around 4 am — said multiple dogs were captured and taken to the MCD centre soon after the Supreme Court’s revised order on Friday. “Dog feeders tracked them, and when they went to the MCD centre, they found bones and dead bodies in the backyard of the centre. They began alerting others to come and protest here,” Saklani said, stating that numbers began to grow after 10 pm.
“The protest numbers grew, the police began assaulting them. There are people who were choked, beaten up and forcibly removed,” she added.
Deputy commissioner of police (Outer North) Hareshwar V. Swami, however, refuted the allegations of assault on dog lovers and activists by the police. He said some “scuffles happened when police personnel tried to remove the protesters who were instigating the crowd and were trying to forcefully enter the dog shelter.”
“The allegations of assault by police are not true. No medico-legal certificates (MLCs) regarding assault and injuries have been received. We removed two-three people from the spot as they were instigating the crowd. One of them is still in our custody. No legal action has been taken by the police,” the DCP added.
Saklani further alleged, “We initially also tried to use a drone, but the ABC centre staff switched off all lights. When the police arrived, we requested them to allow us to go inside and eventually, they allowed groups of four to enter. What we saw was shocking — faeces everywhere and organs in the open."
"We even saw puppies inside, which is illegal. Several dogs were found in extremely lethargic states — on the verge of death. Some of these were rescued. Those who initially went inside in the evening also found skeletons of dogs buried and in the open. We simply want action,” she added.
The DCP said, “The dog lovers/activists group has told us that they will give a complaint. We will look into the complaint as and when it comes and will accordingly take legal action. There was a gathering of around 150 people, who dispersed around 4 am after we pacified them and assured that the dogs were being released.”
The Supreme Court’s latest order on August 22 revised its earlier directive, once again calling for enforcement of ABC rules — requiring stray dogs to be captured, sterilised, vaccinated, and released back to the same locations. It said only aggressive dogs should be kept back and not released, and added that designated feeding points must be established in every neighbourhood.
Asher Jesudoss, an activist who was among those who went inside, said the floor was wet when they entered, suggesting it had just been cleaned. “On the second floor, we found a half-dead dog lying there with an e-collar in the washroom, but the staff acted surprised, saying they didn’t know how the dog got there. There was only water and rice, and the autoclave appeared to have not been used in a long time. In the cages, 70% of the dogs were not tagged either,” said Jesudoss, adding they were not allowed to view the kitchen, dog records or the vaccine room.
“When the second batch of four went inside, the same food bowls had chicken. The centre requires a thorough check and audit,” he added.
A senior police officer aware of the matter said that the Shahbad Dairy police station received information on Friday night about a dog lovers and activists gathered outside a dog shelter in Rohini Sector 27, and were trying to forcefully enter the centre.
“Police personnel were sent to the spot to handle the situation and pacify the crowd, which was making various allegations and demanding the release of dogs kept at the centre. We took some of the dog lovers and activists inside the shelter to verify the allegations. When it was confirmed that no dogs were killed inside, they started making allegations of poor hygiene and that the canines were not being given food and water. Thereafter, they were taken out, where they began amplifying the allegations and creating a ruckus. Scuffles happened when the police tried to remove them,” the officer said.
