Who is Jagriti Mishra? Animal activist whose shed demolition row led to official suspension of MCD, ₹5,000 aid from CM

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Monday suspended a junior engineer in its outer north zone for allegedly demolishing an under-construction animal shelter in Nizampur village. The action comes as Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta directed an inquiry after animal activist Jagriti Mishra alleged that her under-construction shed was demolished without prior notice by MCD officials.

“Our government will not tolerate harassment of citizens or abuse of authority. Those found guilty will face strict action as per law,” Gupta said in a post on Sunday.

The Chief Minister also announced financial assistance from ₹5 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and directed the District Magistrate to assist Misha in setting up an animal shelter.

Mishra, an animal rights activist, shared several videos on Instagram showing her confronting officials whom she accused of demolishing her under-construction animal shelter without prior notice.

Mishra, who has 3.7 million followers on Instagram, regularly shares content related to animal welfare. In one of the videos, she claimed that the demolition of the shelter under construction caused her financial losses.

Mishra, who runs the Street Worldz Trust, alleged that people with links to local political circles demanded money from her. She claimed the demolition took place after she refused to pay.

Who is Jagriti Mishra?

Mishra, who is in her early 20s, hails from Bihar and lives in Uttam Nagar, Delhi. According to an Indian Express report, she has spent more than six years working to improve the lives of stray animals and has received recognition from several platforms for her efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic.

As the number of animals in her care grew, Mishra took to social media for donations, asking people to donate even Re 1 to build another shelter.

In a video posted on her account on June 1, 2025, she shared her vision of creating a sanctuary that would provide medical treatment and care for injured and paralyzed animals of all kinds.

Donations she received through a QR code shared online allowed her to begin construction of a new shelter. However, on October 24, she received a message informing her that the boundary wall of the property, where construction was still underway, was being demolished.

Mishra immediately reached the spot where she clashed with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials accompanied by Delhi Police personnel. She also argued with a man later identified as Chillar, whom she accused of ordering the demolition.

She filmed the incident and shared the footage on Instagram, where it went viral, attracting more than 50 million views.