Powerful Paws: Why Is Agra's Cat Protected By Cops And Home Guards? Here's The Strange Story

A bizarre incident where Agra home guards were reportedly assigned to guard a cat believed to belong to a senior officer sparked social media outrage.

REPRESENTATIVE PICTURE

A strange episode concerning four home guards who were posted to "guard" a cat in the Agra Police Lines has caused widepread laughter and outrage on social media, prompting the local administration to release a prompt, official clarification.

The peculiar task came to the fore on the evening of July 30, when home guards Pawan Parashar, Nizam Khan, Satyapal, and PRD jawan Aidal Singh turned up for their evening duty, expecting to keep an eye on cars parked inside the Police Lines compound. But Constable Yogesh Kumar allegedly told them that their major job was to look after a particular cat, which he said belonged to the SP Traffic.

"This cat is owned by SP Traffic sir, take its care. Ensure no animal touches it," Constable Kumar reportedly directed. He went on to say, "Feed it milk, bread, and water at night, and if anything untoward happens, action will be initiated." The home guards were said to have been left stunned by the strange order.

Social Media Outcry And Official Response

Once he finished his 12-hour shift, one of the home guards posted the story in an official group, which soon went viral. His post, along with a picture of the kitten, read, "Our work has been delegated to guard a cat. If something happens to the cat, then action will be taken against us. Were we hired to guard cats?"

The post quickly went viral on social media, triggering a storm of memes and queries aimed at the traffic police, with most questioning whether police personnel were now employed for the care of animals.

When the controversy mounted, the Agra Traffic Police also acted in a hurry, releasing two clarification posts on X (ex-Twitter). In the first release, they stated, "The said above cat is not owned by any employee or officer. It is a stray cat. Constable Anil had asked Constable Yogesh to take care of the cat so that no animal would harm it. The false and baseless allegations are made."

The incident has highlighted the power of social media in bringing local administrative matters to public attention and the swift response required from authorities in the age of viral content.