Jagriti Mishra, the founder of Street Worldz Trust, posted a series of videos on 22 October showing bulldozers tearing down the under‑construction walls of her shelter in Delhi. The clips, which amassed 6 lakh followers on her personal Instagram and 3.7 million on the NGO account, sparked an online outcry that reached the CM’s office.
Mishra claimed the demolition was carried out by a man linked to the Aam Aadmi Party who had demanded a bribe. She said a call from unnamed labourers on 24 October alerted her that the bulldozers had already struck the site. The AAP MLA Jarnail Singh later clarified on X that the party had no connection to the incident.
In a meeting with Mishra on Sunday, CM Rekha Gupta assured her of strict action, ordered a police complaint against the engineer and the alleged bribe‑taker, and instructed the district magistrate to facilitate the shelter’s completion. Gupta also released ₹5 lakh from the CM Relief Fund to cover Mishra’s immediate financial losses.
On Monday, the Municipal Corporation suspended Vikas Kumar Gupta pending a full inquiry into his conduct. The inquiry will examine the engineer’s decision to demolish the walls without prior notice and the alleged involvement of a third party. Police are expected to file a case by the end of the week.
The shelter, once completed, will house an estimated 200 stray animals in the heart of Delhi’s congested neighbourhood. Mishra’s followers have pledged to support the project, urging the city to ensure that the shelter is fully operational before the winter season.
The next step is the filing of the police complaint and the initiation of the inquiry, which will determine whether Gupta faces disciplinary action or criminal charges for misuse of authority.