CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Wednesday directed the Puri Municipal Corporation (PMC) to pay Rs 10 lakh compensation to the parents of a four-year-old boy who was mauled to death by stray dogs seven years ago.
A pack of four stray dogs attacked Satyabrata Rout when he was playing near his home at Jagannath Colony in Puri on December 1, 2016. He was declared brought dead at the district headquarters hospital.
The deceased child’s father Hrudananda Rout and mother Kaajal, both daily wage earners, are permanent residents of Phulawari village in Banki area of Cuttack district.
The division bench of Acting Chief Justice BR Sarangi and Justice MS Raman issued the direction while allowing a PIL seeking Rs 10 lakh compensation for the death. Bibhuti Charan Mohanty, a resident of Puri town, had filed the petition in 2016.
The court wanted to know what steps were taken to alleviate the grievance of the parents of the child by the PMC and its response to the issue of compensation raised in the PIL.PMC’s counsel PK Mohanty submitted that there is no provision in the Municipal Corporation Act for payment of compensation in case of death due to attack by stray dogs.
Disputing it petitioner counsel Rajkishore Swain cited a Karnataka High Court judgment on July 1, 2022 granting Rs 10 lakh compensation to the parents of a two-year-old who was killed by a pack of stray dogs in 2018.
Taking note of it, the bench awarded Rs 10 lakh compensation for Satyabrata’s death caused by stray dogs. Though filed on December 3, 2016, the petition went without hearing for nearly six years after the court issued notice to the PMC on January 24, 2017.The bench had taken up the matter this year and reserved judgment on the December 6 after three hearings on March 9, August 23, and November 30.