A four-year-old girl, Khadeera Banu, died of rabies on Tuesday at Bengaluru’s Rajiv Gandhi Hospital, nearly four months after being bitten by a stray dog in her home in Davangere, Karnataka. The dog had attacked her face and other parts of her body in April 2025, leaving her critically injured. She was initially treated at a local hospital before being transferred to Bengaluru for advanced care, but despite medical efforts, she succumbed to the disease.
The tragedy has highlighted concerns over the management of stray dogs in Karnataka. Earlier this month, Karnataka Lokayukta Justice BS Patil criticised the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for failing to control the rising number of stray dog attacks. An independent probe led by Dr. Vamshikrishna, Superintendent of Police, Urban Division, found that BBMP had not set up observation homes for aggressive dogs.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has ordered that all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR and adjoining regions be shifted to shelters equipped with professionals for sterilisation and immunisation, warning that any obstruction will face “strictest action.” The order sparked protests from animal rights activists. A separate bench later questioned why authorities began removing dogs before the order was made public; the matter is now reserved for judgment.
(With inputs from NDTV)
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