Dogs maul 4-year-old boy to death

BANGALORE: A four-year-old boy has been mauled to death by stray dogs in this IT hub, making him the second such victim in the city within two months' time.

Manjunath who was playing with other boys of his age near his residence at the BEML layout here, was fatally attacked by a pack of dogs yesterday, police said on Thursday.

Efforts by onlookers to save the ill-fated boy from the jaws of dogs by chasing them with stones and clubs, could be of no avail as the child succumbed to injuries.

Enraged residents shouted slogans against the state government and Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) officials, alleging that the authorities have failed to take action to eliminate street dogs with a total strength of has 56,000 in
the city.

The parents of the boy were in an unconsolable state and the entire colony members were aggrieved over the tragedy.

BMP Commissioner K Jairaj, after holding an emergency meeting with officials, said that Rs1 lakh compensation has been granted to the victim's family.

He said the BEML colony is managed and maintained by the BEML factory management and it does not fall under the Corporation control.

The BMP has entrusted the task for suggesting remedial measures to check the menace of street dogs to Kempe Gowda Institute of Medical Science and a report was expected by this month-end, he said.

The BMP also has a squad to pick up street dogs.

This is the second such incident in the city, earlier one being a girl fatally attacked at Chandra layout two months ago.