Not State's fault: Madras HC rejects plea seeking aid for family of child attacked by two Rottweilers

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court refused to direct the State to pay Rs 10 lakh as compensation to the parent of a five-year-old girl who was attacked by two pet Rottweiler dogs in Chennai.

The State cannot be held responsible for the careless behaviour of the private individual who let his pet dogs in the street without a leash, said Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan while dismissing a petition moved by S Soniya, the victim’s mother.

On May 5, S Pugazhendi, a resident of Nungambakkam, came to the GCC park in the same area with his two pet dogs. Since they were not leashed, they attacked her daughter, said the petitioner. She took her daughter to the hospital with the help of others and saved the five-year-old’s life. The petition sought to direct the State, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and the Chennai collector jointly to pay Rs 10 lakh as compensation.

Soniya submitted that since the GCC employed her husband to maintain the park, she and her daughter lived on the park’s premises. After the gory attack, however, the park was closed, leaving her husband without any job and struggling to make ends meet, said the petitioner. Hence, she sought the Court to direct the State to pay the compensation to maintain her family.

The State submitted that the police filed a criminal complaint against the owner of the pet dogs and filed a report after completing the investigation.

After the submission, the judge observed that the State was not responsible for the attack and could ask for compensation from the pet owners.

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