The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo-motu cognizance of a media report wherein it was reported that an 8-year-old girl was mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs in the Rupnagar district of Punjab.
The girl was playing outside her house when the stray dogs attacked her. Taking a serious view of the matter, NHRC issued a notice to the Punjab Chief Secretary, calling for a detailed report on the matter within two weeks. The local residents rescued the victim and rushed her to the PGIMER in Chandigarh, but she succumbed to the injuries on the way.
As per the details, the eight-year-old girl was attacked and killed by a pack of stray dogs in Morinda town in Ropar district on Wednesday evening. CCTV footage reportedly recorded the incident, leading to strong public anger and fresh criticism of civic bodies over what residents describe as continued inaction against the rising stray dog problem.
The child, identified as Keerti, is said to have gone to a nearby shop to buy milk when eight to ten stray dogs set upon her. Relatives said Keerti's mother was at home caring for her elder daughter and younger son when the girl went out by herself. Keerti's mother works as a house help. Her uncle, Sonu, stated that the dogs caused serious injuries to her head and other parts of her body.
"The condition of the girl was extremely critical. She was rushed to a local hospital and referred to PGI Chandigarh, but she was declared brought dead there," he said. The death has led to anger among local people, who alleged that the administration did not act despite repeated complaints about stray dogs in the area.After the incident, residents and former municipal representatives contacted a Mohali-based animal welfare NGO to step in. A former municipal councillor from Ward No. 1 said he had previously been feeding stray dogs in the neighbourhood and, after the attack, some residents started insisting the dogs should be killed.
To avoid that and ensure the response stayed within the law, he sought the NGO's support. He also expressed regret over the minor girl's death. An NGO team later reached Morinda and on Friday caught about 20 stray dogs, including those suspected to be part of the aggressive group involved in the fatal incident.After the incident, political and social organisations, along with many residents, submitted memorandums to Morinda SDM Chetan Bangar, calling for immediate action. Councillors said the main demands included creating and enforcing a detailed policy to control the stray dog population, providing immediate financial compensation to the grieving family, and capturing and shifting dangerous stray dogs and stray cattle to identified shelters.
Residents also warned they would begin a large-scale agitation if the administration did not take urgent measures to remove stray animals from residential areas and stop similar incidents in future. SDM Morinda could not be contacted for comments despite repeated attempts.
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