A 22-year-old woman was allegedly assaulted by some of her neighbours for feeding stray dogs and cats in her neighbourhood in Azadgarh in south Calcutta on Saturday afternoon.
Police said the woman, a data analyst who works for home for an office in Mumbai, was feeding strays when some women in the neighbourhood protested and allegedly tried to stop her physically.
“When she resisted, she was allegedly beaten up. She has lodged a complaint with us, naming seven women who she said assaulted her,” said an officer at Golf Green police station.
The police said they have also received a counter-complaint of assault and littering in public place against this 22-year-old woman.
A senior police officer of the south suburban division of the city police said the matter was under investigation and both complaints were being looked into.
A police investigator said they were collecting CCTV footage to ascertain the sequence of incidents.
Brawls over the feeding of stray dogs and cats on the city’s roads are not unusual.
Many feel there should be separate feeding areas for animals. Feeding animals in residential neighbourhoods, they say, attracts more stray animals and scares many residents and guests.
The police said no one had been arrested till Monday in connection with any of the two cases.