India

MCD Suspends Engineer After Animal Shelter Demolition Row; CM Offers ₹5 Lakh Aid

By Kanishka Singharia

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) suspended a junior engineer in its Outer North Zone on Monday after allegations that he demolished an under‑construction animal shelter in Nizampur village. The suspension follows Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s directive for an inquiry after animal activist Jagriti Mishra said her shelter was torn down without notice by MCD officials. In a Sunday post, Gupta warned that the government would not tolerate harassment of citizens or misuse of authority and that those found guilty would face strict legal action.

The chief minister also announced ₹5 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and instructed the district magistrate to help Mishra set up the shelter. Mishra, who runs the Street Worldz Trust and has 3.7 million Instagram followers, posted videos on Instagram showing her confronting officials she accused of demolishing her shelter. She claimed the demolition caused her financial losses and that people with political links had demanded money from her after she refused to pay.

Mishra, in her late 20s, is originally from Bihar and lives in Uttam Nagar, Delhi. She has spent more than six years working to improve the lives of stray animals and received recognition for her efforts during the Covid‑19 pandemic, according to an Indian Express report. As her animal care responsibilities grew, she turned to social media to solicit donations, asking people to contribute even ₹1 toward building an additional shelter.

In a video posted on her account on 1 June 2025, Mishra outlined her vision for a sanctuary that would provide medical treatment and care for injured and paralysed animals of all kinds. Donations received through an online QR code enabled her to begin construction of the new shelter. On 24 October, she received a message that the boundary wall of the site, where construction was still underway, was being demolished. Mishra immediately went to the location, confronted MCD officials with Delhi Police present, and had an altercation with a man later identified as Chillar, whom she accused of ordering the demolition. She filmed the incident and shared the footage on Instagram, where it went viral, attracting more than 50 million views.