Vehicle check by police turns tragic for 3-year-old dog bite victim in Karnataka’s Mandya

She was rushed to the Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS), but the doctors pronounced her dead on arrival.

Hrithiksha’s grief-stricken family members and angry residents gathered outside the MIMS hospital, placing her body at its entrance and demanding justice.

The protesters blocked the old Bengaluru-Mysuru highway and raised slogans against the police, vowing not to relent until action was taken.

Mallikarjun Baladandi, Superintendent of Police, Mandya, expressed grief over the girl’s death and announced the immediate suspension of three assistant sub-inspectors—Jayram, Nagraj, and Gurudev—for negligence during the vehicle check.

A departmental inquiry has also been ordered.

“Prima facie, the police are at fault as they stopped a vehicle despite being informed that the child was being rushed to hospital,” Baladandi said.

Union minister H D Kumaraswamy, who is also the MP for Mandya, expressed sorrow over the child’s death.

He urged the traffic police to act with greater sensitivity and caution to prevent such tragedies in the future.

On Tuesday, Home Minister G Parameshwara also cautioned the police to act sensitively.

While the protest continued on Tuesday, the superintendent of police spoke to the girl’s family members and protesters and assured action against the accused officers.