In a viral video shared widely on social media recently, a woman allegedly named Sakshi Sharma sought help from the public over the alleged ill-treatment meted to her and her fostered dogs, at the hands of people running slaughterhouses in the vicinity of her neighbourhood. She had alleged the Tilak Nagar police in Indore of negligence, inaction, and misogynist behaviour.
In the said video, the had claimed that she has provided shelter to 40-45 handicapped stray dogs with her own earnings. She alleged that cattle owners would graze their animals illegally to cater to slaughterhouses nearby. “I cannot go out after 5 pm in the evening. Those who run these slaughterhouses take drugs and gather outside my house every day. When I complained to the Tilak Nagar police, they blamed it on my unmarried life and the absence of a husband,” she claimed in the viral video.
“I don’t leave this place, thinking about the fate of these dogs,” she said. The woman claimed that the people who run the slaughterhouses had murdered her dog and the carcass went missing following a post-mortem. She said that another puppy that she fostered was also missing. In the viral video, the woman also alleged that attempts have been made to outrage her modesty and accused the local cops of harassment.
Indore Police debunks allegations made by ‘Sakshi Sharma’
On Monday, India’s largest animal welfare organisation People for Animals shared a video of Indore police after a woman allegedly named Sakshi Sharma sought help from the public due to ‘police inaction’ over her repeated complaints. “Her primary concern was that cattle owners would graze their animals in the area, thereby causing inconvenience to her dogs. We have directed our officers to resolve the issue. Having said that, the cattle owners to need to earn their livelihood,” the police personnel was quoted as saying.
Dismissing claims of ‘inaction’ by law enforcement, the Indore police informed that a case was registered on March 9 against one Sobha Ram. As per Indore police, the First Information Report (FIR) was lodged on the basis of her complaint under Sections 112, <> 323, 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The cop stated that even though the accused was arrested, the ‘dog lover’ chose to make baseless claims about negligence on the part of the police.
Samrin Bano became Sakshi Sharma to collect money
“There is no threat to her life… We have summoned accused Sobha Ram and security guard Rathi Ram to the Chowk… We have also inquired about her missing puppy. The guard had brought pet supplies for the woman on multiple occasions but was barred from doing so by his employers. She then threatened to implicate him in a false case,” the cop revealed.
On further investigation, the Indore police discovered that the woman was an imposter and operated under the name of Sakshi Sharma, instead of her original name, ‘Samrin Bano.’ Reportedly, she is a resident of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. The police personnel stated that multiple cases were lodged against her in several police stations, including Noida and Dadri. According to him, the woman would operate with pseudonyms in different States in the country.
After the woman’s video went viral, People For Animals took to social media to inform that the woman is actually an imposter who has been trying to defraud people in the name of sheltering handicapped stray dogs.
People For Animals also shared on Twitter claiming that the woman in the video is a fraud and she has collected donations in the name of stray dogs multiple times in the past, running away eventually with the collected sum without paying rent to house owners in several cities.
REGARDING THIS CASE, PLEASE READ! pic.twitter.com/v4O3ghjkwv
— People For Animals India (@pfaindia) July 26, 2020
In the statement, PFA also shared that the woman picks up stray dogs, clicks pictures with them and appeals to people for donations. The organisation also stated that the said woman has collected huge sums of money from people in Goa, Punjab, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Noida for “dogs she does not have”. PFA also stated that the women is operating under a false Hindu name.
Neighbours say she abuses her dogs
The cop informed that a case was registered against the said woman, on the complaint of one Nitish Kumar Tripathi, at Aerodrum police station. The complainant had accused Bano of not paying rent to the tune of ₹30,000. According to the police officer, several neighbours had informed that the woman displays ‘cruel behaviour’ with her dogs. She also physically assaults her puppies at night and yell expletives at them, thereby causing inconvenience to the people around her.
Indore police also informed that in their investigation they have found that the woman has several social media accounts under different names and uses them to collect money for those ‘stray dogs’. The woman reportedly has multiple police complaints filed against her in several cities for non-payment of rent and transport dues.
