Kolkata: A criminal case has been registered at the Jorabagan Police Station against a resident of Kali Krishna Tagore Street in Jorasanko after his pet dog allegedly attacked and severely injured a woman with disabilities inside an apartment building.The alleged attack took place around 9 am on July 22 and police registered the FIR on July 27 only after completing an inquiry over four days.The complainant, 60-year-old Manju Poddar, said her daughter, Siddhi (33), who has disabilities, was standing in the hallway outside their flat on the first floor of their building when a pet dog, a German shepherd, of a neighbour bit her in her hip, injuring her so severely that she had to be taken to hospital. The dog belongs to a neighbour on the second floor, who owns another dog, too. In her police complaint, Manju wrote: “On July 22 morning around 9 am, my disabled daughter was standing in the common area of our floor. Suddenly the black dog, owned by another resident, attacked her and bit her in the hip. She was severely injured and later developed high fever. In spite of our repeated request, the owner has taken no action to restrain his dogs.”Following the complaint, sub-Inspector B Sarkar visited the building. “The officer spoke to residents, including Jitendar Poddar (60) and Rajendar Damani (70). Witnesses confirmed that the dog was routinely allowed to roam freely on the premises without a leash or restraint and it often threatened and attacked passersby,” the police report stated.Another neighbour TOI: “Two dogs belong to the family on the second floor. The pets, especially the German shepherd, are never let alone. Even in the morning, when they go for walks, they are kept under surveillance of the family, who has also set up a barricade outside their door so that the dogs cannot run off. They kept the dogs after a theft. On the day of incident, the son of the family was taking the dogs back home when the German shepherd managed to get out of his hold and run up the stairs. There, the dog spotted the woman, who could not move away for her disability. It scratched the woman. The owners said they regretted that this unfortunate incident took place.”Based on the inquiry, police said the owner failed to take precautions against danger to human life. The case is registered under sections 291 (negligent conduct regarding animals) and 125(a) (act endangering life or personal safety) of the BNS.(
