A child screaming while clutching his bleeding head, and a man picking up his severed ear off the street -- these horrific scenes played out in northwest Delhi’s Prem Nagar area, where a six-year-old boy was mauled by a pitbull on Sunday.
For the boy, the Sunday afternoon began like any other -- playing catch with his elder brother in the crammed lanes outside his house in Prem Nagar, until a missed catch unleased a nightmare.
The CCTV camera in the area captured the brutality of the incident as it unfolded -- the boy innocently chasing the ball when the neighbour's pet pitbull lunged at him, sinking its teeth into his head and tearing off his ear.
The boy had to be pulled from the canine's jaws by two people.
"A case has been registered under sections 291 (negligent conduct with respect to animals) and 125(b) (rash or negligent act endangering life and safety of others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in this connection, and the dog's owner, Rajesh Pal, has been arrested," a senior police officer said.
Expressing distress over the incident, Kameshwar Rai, the victim's grandfather told PTI, "Yesterday around 3 pm, my grandson was playing, and he missed a throw and the ball went rolling towards the house where the dog was tied; then everything happened in a flash." Claiming that the neighbour's dog suddenly broke free from the owner's hands and attacked the child, Rai alleged the dog's owner could not control it.
He said the attack was so severe that it has caused eight to ten deep bite marks on the back of his grandson's head, and his entire right ear has been torn off.
"His teeth are broken, and his face is badly injured. Thankfully, he is at least conscious and able to talk. Two boys from the lane managed to rescue him by pulling the dog away," he said.
He also said the same dog had previously attacked four other children in the area and bit them.
"We complained to the police and asked that the dog be taken away for everyone's safety, but no concrete action has been taken so far," Rai alleged.
A witness to the incident, Satish Kumar, said the incident happened around 3.15 pm.
"I was sitting in my shop when I suddenly saw a dog running. The dog grabbed the child by the face, and the boy was in serious pain. Another man who was nearby helped me; together we tried to pull the dog away. I held the dog by its limbs, and finally it let go," he said.
He added that the child was in a state of serious pain and confusion and when the residents finally managed to rescue the child, he started running, bleeding heavily from where his ear was.
"His ear had been completely torn off. The child was panic-stricken and running to save himself, and I was running behind him with his severed ear in my hand because I was worried he might lose it completely. Thankfully that didn't happen," he said.
Claiming that another young girl was also attacked by the same dog, he said, "She was only saved because she managed to rush into the basement of the house behind us. Otherwise, she too would have been bitten. Strict action needs to be taken in this regard," he added.
A PCR call was received at Prem Nagar police station at 5.38 pm reporting that a child had been severely injured by a pitbull and had been taken to the hospital by his parents, the police officer said.
"Preliminary inquiry revealed that the boy was playing outside his house in Vinay Enclave, when the pitbull suddenly came out from a neighbour's residence and attacked him. The dog belongs to Rajesh Pal (50), a tailor by profession," he said.
The child sustained grievous injuries in the attack, and his right ear was bitten off by the dog, he added.
"With assistance from neighbours, the boy was rescued and rushed to BSA Hospital in Rohini. The victim was later shifted to the Safdarjung Hospital, where he is currently undergoing treatment," the officer said.
He said, according to preliminary inquiry, the dog had been brought home around one-and-a-half years ago by Rajesh Pal's son, Sachin Pal, who is presently lodged in jail in connection with an attempt-to-murder case.
Police said a team has collected the child's hospital records and taken the statement of the victim's father, Dinesh (32), who works at a private factory in Kirti Nagar.
Based on the complaint and medical findings, a case has been registered at Prem Nagar police station and the dog owner Rajesh Pal has been arrested, they added.
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