Girl mauled to death by stray dogs: NHRC issues notice to Delhi govt, police chief

New Delhi: The NHRC has issued a notice to the Delhi government and the capital city's police commissioner in connection with the case of a two-year-old girl, who was allegedly mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs in Lutyens' Delhi recently, officials on Tuesday said.

This is 'not an isolated case' of loss of human life due to attacks by stray dogs in Delhi, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said in a statement.

The NHRC said it has taken 'suo motu cognisance of media reports that a two-year-old girl was allegedly mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs in the Tughlak Lane area of New Delhi on 24th February'.

Tughlak Lane area falls under the jurisdiction of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).

The residents of the area have reportedly said that another child of the family had fallen victim to a similar attack a few months ago. They made several complaints to the authorities about the increasing number of stray dogs and incidents of attack on children but no action was taken, the statement said.

The NHRC has observed the contents of the media report, if true, amount to a grave issue of human rights violation.

Taking cognisance of the earlier tragic incidents, it had directed the city's civic authorities to take all preventive and curative action to control the population of stray dogs as per provisions of the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001, issued by the Centre.

This latest incident indicates a need to review the prevailing safeguards, the NHRC said.

Accordingly, the Commission has issued notices to the chief secretary of the Delhi government, the commissioner of the NDMC and the commissioner of police, seeking a detailed report in six weeks, the statement said.

The government of Delhi is expected to inform whether any relief has been given to the next of kin of the deceased. The commissioner of police is directed to submit the present status of the investigation being conducted after registration of the FIR in the matter, it added.

The NHRC has further observed that animal rights are advocated and supported in the same way as human rights. Similar incidents have been reported from many parts of the country in the recent past and as such this is not a problem for any one state or Union Territory.

"The situation is grim and alarming, requiring immediate and effective action by the authorities without any delay. The apex court has also mentioned in its various pronouncements that there is no ambiguity that a person's rights to life and health are inalienable. Therefore, there is a need to protect human rights to life," it said.

According to media reports carried on February 26, a function was going on in the locality due to which the loud music from nearby DJ sessions drowned out the girl's screams during the attack around 6 pm on Saturday, the statement said.

The residents reportedly said that to address the issue they approached the woman known to be feeding stray dogs in the area but they were threatened instead of cooperating in the matter.

Reportedly, a team of the NDMC has also confirmed that some temporary cottages and dog shelters are found to be feeding stray dogs in the area, it added.