Missing dogs at IGI Airport: Court pulls up police for lax investigation

A Delhi court has criticised the police for a 'not serious' investigation into two stray dogs missing from IGI Airport. Despite CCTV evidence, the police failed to trace the dogs or question airport authorities, prompting a fresh probe.

A Delhi court has observed that no serious effort was made by the police to trace two stray dogs that went missing from IGI Airport, while criticising the manner in which the investigation was conducted. The case relates to the alleged removal of dogs from Terminal-3 of the airport.

Court Highlights Lapses in Police Probe

As per the police status report, CCTV footage showed that around 7:38 pm, a person in an estate services uniform lured a dog into a vehicle and took it out of the airport premises. The individuals involved were linked to a private contractor. However, the police said the exact location where the dogs were taken was still unknown.

The court noted that despite more than one and a half months having passed, the police had not been able to determine whether the dogs were alive or where they had been relocated. It was remarked that the investigation showed a lack of seriousness, especially when the complainants had approached the authorities multiple times.

The judge also found fault with the approach of the inquiry officer, stating that instead of questioning the airport authorities and contractors involved, the police focused on the complainants, asking them to prove whether they were regular feeders and even seeking contact details of the respondents.

Further, the court pointed out that earlier directions to examine incidents at both Terminal-3 and Terminal-1 together were not followed. The police treated the incidents separately, even though there were indications that both could be connected and involved the same contractor.

Fresh Investigation Ordered

The court observed that such incidents could not have taken place without directions from authorities managing the airport and required a thorough and coordinated inquiry. Taking note of these lapses, the court has now directed the Joint Commissioner of Police (Transport Range) to conduct a fresh, comprehensive investigation into both incidents and submit a report. The matter is scheduled to be heard next on May 11, 2026.

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