‘She was playing when they dragged her away’: Three-year-old girl killed by stray dogs in UP village

Police were subsequently informed about the incident.

Station Officer of Dilari police station, Krishna Kumar, said the children had gone to the pond to play. Seeing them, he said, a group of stray dogs in the vicinity became aggressive and started barking. While the other children managed to flee, the three-year-old girl was unable to escape. The dogs then attacked her, causing fatal injuries that led to her death, the officer added.

He said no case has been registered in the matter so far. The family has not filed a complaint.

The child’s father, Naushad Ahmed (35), said the dogs had dragged his daughter some distance away from the house while she was playing and killed her. “I came to Moradabad and lost my child…”

He said they live in Delhi, where he works with a private firm. His younger brother, Irshad Hussain, lives in Moradabad and runs the family jewellery shop.

“We have complained to the district administration so that such an incident does not happen to any other child,” the grieving father said.

The incident comes even as the Supreme Court is hearing a suo motu case related to the stray dogs issue.

On January 13, a bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N V Anjaria said authorities had not done anything for 75 years. It also said it may order “heavy compensation” to be paid by authorities in case of deaths due to stray dog bites.

“It’s clearly a failure on their part, for 75 years… And they have created a worse situation. That’s what we want to put to the states to take them to task for this. For every dog bite, and every death or injury caused to a child or old or feeble person, we are likely to fix heavy compensation to be paid by the state, for not having done anything for the last 75 years,” said Justice Nath.

Mohammad Kallu, former pradhan of Kazipur village, alleged that the stray dog problem in the area has been worsening but neither the district administration nor the municipal corporation has taken effective action to address it. “This is the first time an animal has killed a person in the village. There is widespread anger among residents,” he said.

Chief Veterinary Officer of Moradabad, Sunil Dutt, said action in cases of animal attacks falls under the jurisdiction of the block development officer concerned and other local authorities. Block Development Officer of Bilari, Prem Singh, said an operation to catch stray animals would be launched soon.