Stray dogs attack two students on Bangalore University campus, weeks after BBMP's chicken-rice initiative

Two students at Dr BR Ambedkar School of Economics University were attacked by stray dogs on Tuesday morning while taking a walk on the Bangalore University campus. The incident happened just weeks after the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) faced criticism for proposing to spend Rs 2.88 crore to feed stray dogs non-vegetarian food, The Indian Express reported.

The Dr BR Ambedkar School of Economics University is located within the 1,000-acre Bangalore University campus, which sees over a thousand visitors each day. Many residents from nearby areas also visit the campus for morning walks. The campus is also home to the National Law School of India University (NLSIU).

The victims, identified as Soujanya G J from Haveri and Rega Nikshitha from Telangana, are both in the final year of their graduation course. According to The Indian Express report, the two students were attacked in separate locations between 6.30 am and 7 am. “We do not know what provoked the stray dogs. Both students were taken to a hospital for treatment and are now recovering,” IE quoted a source as saying.

G Lokesh Ram, a student leader and research fellow, said that the stray dog problem on campus was serious. He alleged that many stray dogs caught in residential areas were sterilised and then abandoned on the campus. “It’s not only unsafe in the early morning, but even walking during the day or night has become risky. I estimate there are about 300–350 stray dogs on campus, and with limited access to food, the problem is worsening,” he was quoted by The Indian Express as saying.

Vikas Suralkar Kishor, Special Commissioner of BBMP, acknowledged the students’ concerns but stressed that relocating stray dogs was against the law. “If there’s a dog bite complaint, we isolate the dog for 10 days to check for rabies. For general complaints, we catch the dogs, vaccinate and sterilise them, and release them back in the same area. We now have observation centres in places with repeated bite incidents,” he explained.

In July, the BBMP launched a scheme to feed rice and chicken to 5,000 stray dogs in certain parts of Bengaluru at Rs 22 per dog per day, with a total budget of Rs 2.88 crore. However, stray dog attacks have continued. In July, a 68-year-old man named Seethappa was attacked in Kempegowda Layout, and in August 2024, a retired schoolteacher, Rajdulari Sinha, was fatally mauled inside the Air Force East residential camp in Jalahalli.

Data from the Karnataka health department shows the scale of the issue: until July 31 this year, the state recorded 2.81 lakh dog bite cases and 26 deaths. Vijayapura had the highest number of bite cases (15,527), followed by Bengaluru city (13,831), Hassan (13,388), Dakshina Kannada (12,524), and Bagalkot (12,392).