Hands folded, boy urges woman to exit lift with dog, she shoves him out in Noida Extension; woman detained

NOIDA: A 35-year-old woman from Gaur City 2 in Noida Extension was detained on Wednesday evening after CCTV footage showed her pushing a seven-year-old boy out of the society lift even after he folded his hands and pleaded with her not to walk in with her pet dog.

The incident — circulated widely on social media — triggered outrage among residents of 12th Avenue, requiring cops to rush in and detain the woman to ensure peace in the society.

An FIR was, however, registered against Riya Bhattacharya under BNS sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), and 351(2) (criminal intimidation). Bhattacharya — who lives alone in her flat that she owns for the past six years — has three dogs and is known to feed strays inside the society compound, according to residents.




Kanika Arora stated in her police complaint that the incident occurred when her son was returning from tuitions around 5.30pm.

Footage from a camera installed inside the lift shows the boy alone in the elevator as it goes up. As it stops on one of the floors and the door opens, Bhattacharya walks in with her black and white pet, causing visible distress to the child.

Even before she can enter the lift, the boy pleads with his hands folded and asks Bhattacharya to not let the dog loose on him. As the dog settles in one corner of the elevator — without even going near the 7-year-old — the woman grabs the boy by the nape and hands and pushes him out. The lift’s door closes, with the boy and the woman still out. The dog, too, walks out before that.

The door, however, opens again. This time, the boy — visibly shaking with fear — rushes in and presses the button hard to ensure the door closes before Bhattacharya walks in again. The door closes and the lift continues to move up.

The incident sparked chaos when residents gathered in the society compound around 10pm, confronting Bhattacharya and demanding the removal of her dogs from the premises.

A police team rushed in after being informed about the chaos, but clarified that removal of pets was outside their jurisdiction. They, however, took Bhattacharya into custody to prevent a law-and-order situation.

In May last year, CCTV footage showed a dog biting the hand of a young girl inside a lift in Lotus 300 in Noida Sector 107.

Over the years, pet-related conflicts in residential societies have become increasingly common. In 2021, a survey by the Association of Apartment Owners revealed that 65% of housing societies reported pet-related disputes, ranging from hygiene concerns to safety issues. Several cities in the country have their own pet policies for residential complexes, requiring registration, vaccination certificates, and behaviour training for pets.