Odisha: HC asks urban body to pay compensation of Rs 10 lakh for dog bite death
Bhubaneswar: In a landmark judgement, the High Court of Orissa has ordered Odisha’s Puri Municipality to pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the family of a minor who died after being bitten by dogs. The HC pronounced the order while hearing a 2016 petition on the death of a four-year-child in attacks by stray dogs.
A pack of four stray dogs had mauled the four-year-old child to death on December 1, 2016.
Rajkishore Swain, the counsel of the petitioner said, “The Puri Municipality had submitted an affidavit saying there is no provision in the Municipality Act to provide compensation to the victim’s family. However, the Court ruled that the Municipality should pay Rs 10 lakh compensation to the family of the deceased child because of its failure to control the stray dogs.”
“The court took cognisance of the Municipality Act and Animal Birth Control Act under which there are provisions to take action against the civic bodies if they falter in controlling stray animals in the cities,” Swain said.
Speaking to reporters, the petitioner Bibhuti Charan Mohanty said, “I had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the High Court of Orissa after four stray dogs mauled the child to death. I wanted the government to compensate the family of the child for their loss.”
Stray dogs are increasingly becoming a menace for children in the state. Even the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had taken suo motu cognizance of the increasing incidents of stray dog bites reported at the Acharya Harihar Post Graduate Institute of Cancer (AHPGIC) in Cuttack.
The commission had issued notices to the Odisha government, the state's hospital administration, and the City Municipal Corporation in May this year regarding the issue. The NHRC said these incidents, if true, are a violation of the patients' human rights.
