5 street dogs chase, maul 4-year-old girl near her house in Bhopal

The girl’s father said she was playing near her house in Bhopal when a pack of dogs chased her and pulled her on the road. She was bitten on her head, ears, stomach and legs, he said.

Published on: Jan 2, 2022, 15:58:21 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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BHOPAL: A pack of street dogs chased and mauled a four-year-old girl in Bhopal on Saturday evening. The girl has been admitted to the hospital in serious condition.

Bhopal municipal corporation (BMC) commissioner KVS Choudary said the canine sterilisation programme was paused only for two-three months last year during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, and that at least 30 to 40 dogs are being sterilised daily. (Screengrab/CCTV footage)

The horrific incident was captured on a CCTV camera in Anjali Vihar colony of Bagsewaniya area.

The girl was identified as Guddi Bansal, daughter of a labourer who works at a construction site in Anjali Vihar colony.

“Guddi was playing when a pack of dogs chased her and pulled her on the road. She was bitten on her head, ears, stomach and legs. She was saved by a local. A passerby threw a stone at dogs and chased them away. Later, the girl was taken to Hamidia Hospital where doctors are treating her, the girl’s father Rajesh Bansal said.

The Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission (MPHRC) has taken cognizance of reports of the case and sent notice to Bhopal municipal corporation (BMC) commissioner and district health officer.

Last year, a seven-year-old girl was attacked by stray dogs in the city’s Koh-e-Fiza area. In 2019, a six-year-old was killed by stray dogs in Bhopal.

BMC commissioner KVS Choudary said the girl is being given proper medical treatment. “She is alright,” Choudary said, according to news agency PTI. Choudary rebutted criticism on social media that the authorities were not taking steps to curb the menace posed by street dogs. He said the canine sterilisation programme was paused only for two-three months last year during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, and that at least 30 to 40 dogs are being sterilised daily.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More