Tag: crime news Indian Express

In a video of his interaction at a park in North Delhi’s Model Town on Sunday, Goel can be seen sitting across from a group of people who are speaking to him about his views on feeding stray dogs. As soon as he notices the interaction is being filmed, he gets up from his chair and lunges towards the woman making the video, asking her why she was recording him.

Goel, however, vehemently denied the allegations of assault and said that the video had been presented in a way to make him look like the aggressor.

Goel told The Indian Express, “There are three to four young people who come to meetings and try to disturb them. They are not even from the areas where the meeting is being held. What business do they have being there? In the meeting at Model Town, they came, they sat, and started asking questions. We did not stop them. In fact, I was very respectful”.

“When we were sitting and having some refreshments, they started to record the conversation, which I objected to. In the video posted by them, it seems like I am either snatching the phone or slapping the person holding the camera. That is not the case at all. I only asked them to stop recording and got up from my seat. If I had tried to assault someone, wouldn’t they have complained to the police?” he asked.

Goel also said his agenda for the meetings is the need for sterilising dogs, starting adoption centres, and raising issues about the availability of anti-rabies vaccines in hospitals.

In a complaint filed by eight people at the Model Town Police Station, it has been alleged Goel, during the meeting, asked people to stop feeding strays and to take them to their homes if they wanted to feed them. The complaint demanded that an FIR be registered against Goel and said his statements are against the Supreme Court order which allows people to feed dogs in residential areas.

Delhi Police officers said they haven’t received a complaint from the woman or anyone about the alleged assault. “From the video, it’s not clear whether he scolded her or assaulted her…” said an officer.

Goel has held several meetings to discuss dog bites and the number of strays on the streets. In one of his events at Constitution Club earlier this month, two women had come to blows and had to be separated by the police. Animal rights activists have accused Goel of fuelling a hateful agenda against strays.

One of the complainants told The Indian Express that Goel got aggressive during the interaction and tried to snatch the phone from a woman who was recording a video.

“Everyone was making videos at the event. Goel got aggressive and attempted to snatch the phone from a lady sitting beside me. He never asked us to stop filming and was well aware that everyone at the event was making videos,” said Malika Kaur, one among the eight complainants.