German running cow shelter in Mathura alleges extortion

Noida, June 22

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German-born Padma Shri recipient Friederike Irina Bruning, who runs a cow shelter in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura has alleged extortion and threat to life by some locals, who have been booked by the police, officials said.

The police have lodged an FIR against four named individuals and six to seven unidentified persons for alleged trespassing and criminal intimidation, among others, the officials said.

In her complaint to the police on Monday, the 61-year-old animal rights activist, now known as Sudevi Dasi, said she had been engaged in social service and working for animals in the Braj area in western UP for the last four decades.

In the FIR, Dasi mentions an incident of October 10, 2020, when the accused trespassed into the cow shelter, fought with the workers and brandished firearms to threaten them. Dasi, who was honoured with Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour of India in 2019, alleged a repeat of such incident in December by the accused.

“When I intervened to save one of the workers, I was hurled with abuses and given life threat by the accused. They demanded extortion money or otherwise they would assault us regularly,” Dasi claimed.

She said the accused created a similar episode on May 25 in which they assaulted workers and broke down the CCTV cameras installed on the cow shelter premises.

SP (City) Martand Prakash Singh said an FIR had been lodged and the matter is further being probed. PTI