The Delhi Police Cyber Cell has registered a first information report after the city’s Directorate of Education (DoE) lodged a complaint about a widely shared post which claimed, falsely, that teachers had been instructed to count stray dogs on school premises.
Teachers counting stray dogs
Police said the complaint was received from the DoE on 1 January and an FIR was lodged against unknown persons at the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit. The case invokes relevant sections of the BNS and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, officials added. The complaint was initially filed at the Civil Lines police station in the North District before being transferred to IFSO for specialised investigation.
Director (Education) Veditha Reddy told reporters that no directive asking teachers to count stray dogs was ever issued by the department. “The teachers are only involved in academic activities. The false narrative is mischievous,” she said. The DoE noted that a circular dated 20 November 2025 was issued solely to comply with Supreme Court directions in a suo motu writ petition titled City hounded by strays, kids pay price. That circular, the department said, instructed schools to deploy security staff to prevent stray dogs entering premises and to ensure the safety of pupils.
In its complaint the department said the viral post had been “false, misleading, and malicious” and accused those responsible of spreading fabricated news with malafide intent. The DoE argued the misinformation caused confusion and panic among teachers and school staff, damaged the reputation of the Education Department and impaired public trust in government institutions.
The complaint also highlighted instances of impersonation on social media, where some accounts appeared to pose as teachers engaged in counting stray dogs. The DoE listed the social media handles that shared the post and asked that those responsible be investigated and face appropriate legal action.
Section 67 of the IT Act deals with publication or transmission of obscene material in electronic form; the DoE’s complaint cited this provision among others. Police said the probe will examine how the claim originated, who amplified it and whether the accounts involved were fabricated to promote the false narrative.
Experts and officials say the case underlines how quickly misinformation can spread and the stress it places on public servants. School staff, who were identified in some posts, reported receiving calls and messages seeking clarification, adding to their workload at a time when attention should be on students’ academic needs.
Legal action against the unknown persons named in the FIR will aim to deter similar campaigns that disrupt public order and trust. For now, the DoE has reiterated that its staff remain focused on education and that safety measures in schools are being handled through security personnel as per the court’s directions.
Police have not yet named any suspects. The IFSO unit’s inquiry will determine whether the social media posts and any related impersonation amount to criminal offences and identify the accounts responsible for spreading the false claim.
Key Takeaways:
- Delhi Police’s Cyber Cell registered an FIR after the Directorate of Education (DoE) complained about a false post claiming teachers would count stray dogs.
- DoE said the November circular complied with Supreme Court directions but contained no instruction to count dogs; officials called the post malicious and misleading.
- The FIR against unknown persons was registered at the IFSO unit under relevant sections of the BNS and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act; impersonation on social media is under probe.
- The complaint aims to curb misinformation that caused confusion among school staff and damage to the department’s reputation.
