The Delhi Police has initiated a formal investigation into a case of alleged misinformation after the city government's education department filed a complaint about a fabricated social media post. The controversial post falsely claimed that school teachers in Delhi had been directed to count stray dogs.
FIR Registered by Cyber Cell Unit
The Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of the Delhi Police's Cyber Cell registered the First Information Report (FIR) on January 1, 2026. The complaint was filed by the Directorate of Education (DoE) of the Delhi government, which labelled the viral post as "false, misleading, and malicious." The case has been filed against unknown persons under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act.
Initially, the complaint was lodged at the Civil Lines police station in North District before being transferred to the specialized IFSO unit for a detailed cyber probe.
Education Department's Strong Denial
Director of Education, Veditha Reddy, had earlier publicly denied the existence of any such directive. She stated clearly to mediapersons that the teachers are solely involved in academic activities and termed the false narrative as "mischievous."
The DoE's complaint clarified the origin of the confusion. It referred to an actual circular dated November 20, 2025, which was issued in compliance with Supreme Court directions from a suo motu writ petition titled 'City hounded by strays, kids pay price'. The circular's actual purpose was to ensure student safety by preventing stray dogs from entering school premises through the deployment of security staff. The department emphasized that this circular contained no mention whatsoever of counting stray dogs.
Allegations of Malicious Intent and Impersonation
The complaint detailed the serious repercussions of the fake news. It stated that deliberate attempts were made to spread fabricated information with malafide intent, leading to:
- Confusion and panic among teachers and school staff.
- Damage to the reputation of the Education Department.
- Disruption of public order and erosion of trust in government institutions.
- Widespread dissemination of false information, constituting a breach of social responsibility.
Furthermore, the complaint highlighted an even more alarming trend: the impersonation of individuals as teachers engaged in counting stray dogs on social media platforms. The DoE urged police to investigate this aspect immediately and take appropriate legal and criminal action. The complaint also provided a list of social media handles that had actively shared the false post, aiding its virality.
This case underscores the growing challenge of misinformation on digital platforms and the potential it has to cause real-world disruption, even affecting the morale and functioning of essential public services like education.
