E-Paper
Dog bite victims to get ₹10,000 per tooth mark as compensation: HC
HC directed that the state government shall be primarily responsible for paying compensation to people in cases where stray animals are involved, adding that in cases relating to dog bite, the minimum financial assistance would be ₹10,000 per tooth mark.
The Punjab and Haryana high court directed that the state government shall be primarily responsible for paying compensation to people in cases where stray animals are involved, adding that in cases relating to dog bite, the minimum financial assistance would be ₹10,000 per tooth mark.
Issuing guidelines to be followed by the police on receipt of a complaint about any incident or accident reported due to involvement of animals (stray/wild/pet or deserted), the bench of Justice Vinod S Bhardwaj ordered: “On receipt of information regarding accident due to stray/wild animal, the station house officer (SHO) shall get a daily diary report (DDR) recorded without any undue delay. The police officer shall verify the claim made and record statements of witnesses and prepare the site plan and summary. A copy of the report be forwarded to the claimant”.
If a stray dog bites you, state government/ union territory is liable to pay financial assistance, “a minimum of ₹10,000 per tooth mark and where the flesh has been pulled off the skin, it shall be a minimum of ₹20,000 per 0.2 cm of wound,” the HC ruled while disposing of 193 petitions.
Through the same judgment, the bench of Justice Vinod S Bhardwaj has ordered the Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh administration to constitute committees chaired by deputy commissioners of respective districts to determine such compensation.
“The award shall be passed by the committees within a period of four months of the claims being filed before it along with requisite documents. The state shall be primarily responsible to pay compensation with a right to recover the same from the defaulting agencies of the state or a private person if any,” reads the order.
The bench had directed the DGPs of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh to issue appropriate instructions to frame the guidelines with regards to accidents due to involvement of stray animals, including cows, bulls, oxen, donkeys, dogs, nilgai, buffaloes, and include wild, pet and deserted animals as well.
Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh have been directed to constitute committee headed by the deputy commissioner of the district concerned to award compensation for the incidents, accidents pertaining to the death/permanent disability within 4 months of filing of the claims.
