New Delhi: A viral video of two women slapping and assaulting each other inside a Ghaziabad housing society has once again raised the issue of dogs in gated societies. The incident at Windsor Paradise-2 society in Raj Nagar Extension, Ghaziabad, involved 43-year-old Hina Bari and 27-year-old Shweta, who live on the same floor.
While the clip shows both women exchanging blows, residents said their animosity goes back a long way.
“It is not about entering the lift or the dog. Both residents are at fault. They have had fights earlier as well, including disputes over blocking each other’s balconies and windows,” said a resident, requesting anonymity.
On Saturday, around 3 pm, Shweta was inside the lift with her pet dog, holding a stick, when Hina attempted to enter. The situation quickly escalated into a physical altercation. In the 1-minute-and-42-second clip, Shweta can be seen hitting Hina with the stick first and then slapping her after the lift door closes.
Hina Bari, a PGT psychology teacher, said she was aware of the society’s rule but entered the lift because the building has 24 floors and waiting for the lift to return takes time. She also said the dog’s mouth was covered and that both women were travelling to the same floor.
“She (Shweta) always takes the lift from the basement area, so people cannot enter from the ground floor. But I had come from school and was tired. I did not want to wait, so I tried to enter the lift, but she started hitting me,” Hina told ThePrint.
“This is not a case about a dog entering the lift. I have no problem with dogs. This is a case of physical assault, and I will fight for an FIR to be registered. I also want her to publicly apologise for damaging my reputation,” she added.
Shweta declined to comment. Her father, Din Mani, told ThePrint that his daughter was distressed by the incident and the subsequent reaction on social media.
“My daughter is mentally disturbed, and the entire social media is blaming her,” he said. Mani said the society rule prohibits others from entering the lift if there is someone already in it with a dog.
“But Hina still tried to enter, and when my daughter tried to stop her, she abused her. My daughter hit her in self-defence,” Mani alleged. He added that he will “defame the news channels that are blaming my daughter for hitting Hina without verifying the entire incident”.
Hina later approached the Nandgram police station and submitted a written complaint seeking action against Shweta. A non-cognisable report has been registered.
“CCTV footage and statements from those present at the spot are being examined. The case is under investigation. No FIR has been filed yet,” Nandgram ACP Ziauddin Ahmad said.
Social media divided
Residents in the society have largely refrained from siding with either woman, saying both were at fault — one for entering the lift despite knowing the society’s rule, and the other for allegedly hitting another resident, regardless of the circumstances.
On social media, the incident has sparked a wider debate between pet owners and other residents in gated societies over whether dogs should be allowed inside lifts and how such situations should be handled.
“If the dog parent was already there, why would another person enter the lift if she wasn’t comfortable with the dog? She should have waited,” said a user on Instagram.
Another user commented, “Kindly use the stairs to walk the dogs.”
The incident has also spawned a series of AI-generated images and sarcastic memes.
In one such image, a dog can be seen sitting in a corner of a lift wearing black sunglasses, with a speech bubble that reads: “Dog dekh raha hai, meri jagah insaano ne le li hai. Kutton ki tarah lad rahe hain (The dog is watching. Humans have taken my place. They are fighting like dog).”
While several social-media users have supported the dog owner, arguing that she was already inside the lift when the other woman entered, others have called for strict action against pet owners.
“That teacher let her ego get the best of her. If the owner was already in the lift with her dog, just let them go. Why force your way in to argue? Riding it together after getting slapped was wild. Why is everyone always in such a rush?” said another user.
“The Supreme Court should take suo motu cognizance of this case and pass a strict verdict against the misbehaviour of the dog owner. It should also lay down strict guidelines for taking pets out in public and impose serious penalties on whoever violates them. All developed countries have such rules,” another user said.
(Edited by Prashant Dixit)