Four-year-old boy dies after attack by stray dogs in Bangalore

Less than two months after a nine year old girl was mauled to death by a pack of ferocious dogs, a four-year-old boy in BEML layout in Bangalore has fallen prey to the stray dog menace haunting the residents of the City.

Four-year-old Manjunath succumbed to injuries he sufferred when he was attacked by a pack of stray dogs in BEML layout in Bangalore on Wednesday night, exposing the civic authorities to widespread criticism from the concerned public.

The residents of BEML layout joined the shattered parents of Manjunath and staged a demonstration with the four-year-old’s dead body in Bangalore yesterday. The residents accused the Bangalore City Corporation authorities of “criminal negligence”, which claimed the life of the four-year-old boy.

Though the Government announced a compensation of Rs 100,000 to the Manjunath’s grief-stricken parents, Health Minister R Ashok sought downplay the culpability of the Bangalore City Corporation in the tragedy.

He said the BEML layout does not fall within the administrative purview of Bangalore City Corporation. “Providing security to the residential locality including keeping the stray dog menace under a check is the responsibility of the public-sector undertaking BEML. Bangalore City Corporation cannot be held accountable for the tragedy”, Ashok said.

However, he said the Government was providing a relief of Rs 100,000 on “humanitarian” grounds. Ashok also said that he had sought a progress report from Bangalore City Corporation Commissioner Jairaj on the drive launched by the authorities to eliminate the stray dog menace in Bangalore. “I have asked him to submit a report in the matter in the next fifteen days”, he said.

Ashok said the Government was continuing its crackdown on illegal meat shops in the City that were dumping waste in the open and attracting stray dogs to the flesh.

The Bangalore City Corporation had launched an elaborate exercise to eliminate violent, rabid and sick dogs after a nine-year-old girl was mauled to death by a pack of dogs in Chandra Layout in Bangalore during the first week of January this year.