Chhattisgarh High Court orders ₹6.5 lakh compensation for death of 7-year-old child after stray dog attack

The Chhattisgarh High Court recently ordered the State authorities to grant ₹6.5 lakh as compensation for the death of a 7-year-old child who succumbed to her injuries in 2018 after being attacked by a stray dog. [Vijay Das Manikpuri v. State of Chhattisgarh].Justice Parth Prateem Sahu observed that the untimely and unnatural death of a child cannot be valued or compensated by money, as it is a source of perennial grief for the child’s parents and family. Such a loss would surely lead to mental agony and trauma, the Court said..The Court added that the agony and suffering of a victim of dog bite can only be experienced or seen. .In the present case, the judge noted that it was evident that the child had suffered excruciating pain, suffering, mental agony and deprivation of faculties on account of the dog bite. In this regard, the judge referred to a photograph which showed the gruesome extent of the injuries suffered by the child..The judge further noted that in earlier orders passed by the High Court, orders were issued to grant compensation to the family of victims of stray dog bites.Following suit, the single-judge has now ordered the State authorities to grant ₹ 6.5 lakh as compensation to the family of the victim within three months..As recounted in the Court’s order, the child passed away in April 2018 while undergoing treatment after a stray dog attacked her while she was on her way back from school.Her family’s request for compensation was rejected by a sub-divisional officer, on the ground that there was no provision under the Revenue Book Circulars (RBC) for awarding compensation in stray dog bite cases..This prompted the victim's father to move the High Court for relief.“Keeping in mind above decisions as also considering all the aspects of the matter, particularly that it is not in dispute that daughter of petitioner died due to complications of a stray dog bite, I deem it fit to award a sum of Rs.6,50,000/- as ex gratia / compensation to the petitioner,” the Court directed in its July 4 order..Advocate Dharmesh Shrivastava appeared for the victim's father whereas Government Advocate G Patel appeared for the State..[Read Order]