Woman alleges assault over feeding stray dogs in Kodigehalli

A 45-year-old woman has alleged that she was assaulted and her mobile phone damaged by a group of people while she was feeding community dogs in NTI Layout, within the limits of Kodigehalli police station.

In a complaint filed on September 24, Sudha Deepak stated that she had gone to Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, 4th Main, 6th Cross, at about 8.30 p.m. on September 23 to feed the dogs and give them water.

She alleged that a resident approached her and began throwing stones at the strays. When she asked him not to harm the animals, he is said to have turned aggressive and picked a quarrel with her.

As the argument escalated, Ms. Sudha began recording the incident on her phone. The man allegedly snatched the device from her hand and abused her in vulgar language. She later managed to get the phone back.

The complainant further alleged that the man called several other people to the spot to stop her from feeding the dogs. One of them, wearing a red-sleeved shirt, allegedly struck her hand with a wooden stick, apparently aiming at her mobile phone. The phone fell to the ground and its display was completely damaged, she said.

Ms. Sudha told the police that she fed the dogs at hours when there was little public movement so as not to inconvenience residents.

She subsequently called the emergency helpline 112 and the Kodigehalli police. Patrol personnel reached the spot, but the alleged assailant and the others had fled by then.

In her complaint, she sought legal action against the unidentified persons for allegedly assaulting her, damaging her phone and preventing her from feeding the dogs. She also asked the police to warn the accused against harassing or assaulting her in future.