Ghaziabad: Woman says 400 people in highrise assaulted her after plaint on dogs

A 24-year-old woman has alleged that around 300 to 400 residents of a highrise in Raj Nagar Extension manhandled and sexually harassed her after an argument related to stray dogs in the area late on March 6, police said.

According to police, they have booked 400 people under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 74 (assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 75(1)(i) (physical contact and advances involving unwelcome and explicit sexual overtures; sexual harassment) on March 8 on the basis of the complaint filed by the woman.

Police said a group of residents from the highrise also reached out to the Nandgram police station on Sunday and said that the woman was responsible for the instances of stray dogs menace in the society. However, they haven’t registered an FIR against the woman.

The complainant claims to be an animals’ rights activist and said that the incident happened at around 11.30pm on March 6, when an agitated mob of about 300-400 residents from the neighbouring highrise touched her, attacked her and even pulled her hair. “They said that they would make me parade in the same situation and asked me why did I go to their society to save strays? Some of the women also accused me of kidnapping kids and also defamed me,” the woman said in the FIR.

Further, police said that the residents have denied the allegations by the woman. “We have taken complaint by the residents, and it will also be included in the investigation. The residents also gave us a call recording, purportedly with the woman, in which she was abusing another resident. We will get it verified. We have registered the FIR against 300-400 residents of the highrise as mentioned in the complaint given by the woman,” Poonam Mishra, ACP of Nandgram circle, said.