BENGALURU: Two pitbulls mauled a seven-year-old boy who returned home from school, leaving his face disfigured and with 58 stitches, in RKM Layout near KR Puram, Old Madras Road.
A Lithin, son of M Arun and Venilla, and a Class 2 student, was attacked by the two pitbulls last Monday afternoon. On finding the dogs roaming free on the ground floor, Arun called the dog owner K Ranjith, to take the dogs in. This led to an argument during which Ranjith is alleged to have provoked the dogs to attack the child.
Arun filed a complaint against Ranjith, 26, and Anil Kumar, the building owner. Ranjith lives on the first floor, while Arun’s family resides on the ground floor. Around seven months ago, the same dogs had attacked the boy and his mother. The building owner had warned the tenant not to unleash the dogs when children were playing.
“The right side of my son’s face has been disfigured due to the bites of the dogs, and he needed 58 stitches. He is unable to bear the pain, and his condition is critical. Ranjith requested us to withdraw the complaint and assured us that he would bear all the medical expenses. But I refused his favour," Arun said, who works with a battery manufacturing firm.
"We moved to the house last December, and Ranjith’s family had moved in one month earlier. If the owner had informed us about the dogs, we would have not taken the house. After the earlier attack, the owner did not take any measures to ensure that the other tenants were safe. Ranjith had assured us that he would sell the dogs but has not kept his word. Earlier there were three pit bulls, of which one was sold," he added.
Building owner also responsible
The incident happened around 3.30 pm on Monday, but Arun filed the complaint on a later date as the family was busy in the hospital. After the attack, Ranjith is said to have hidden the dogs. “Both the accused will be arrested. The condition of the boy is really bad.
The building owner is equally responsible as he did not take any precautionary measures after the previous incident,” said an officer attached to Avalahalli police station, and who is part of the probe.