Jalandhar: A six-year-old boy was mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs in Punjab’s Jalandhar district on Friday, police said.
The child had accompanied his mother to the fields to deliver lunch to his father, who was sowing potatoes. According to the family, the boy went into the fields to relieve himself when a group of five to six stray dogs surrounded and attacked him.
The dogs reportedly bit him repeatedly, with severe injuries to his head and other parts of the body.
Hearing the child’s screams, his parents rushed to the spot and managed to rescue him from the dogs. He was rushed in a critical condition to the Civil Hospital in Jalandhar, where doctors declared him dead during treatment.
The deceased has been identified as Itwari (6), a resident of Gilla Gakhla near Sultanpur Lodhi. The family originally hails from Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh. He was the only child of his parents.
The boy’s father, Munejar, said his wife and son had come to the fields with food in the afternoon. “He told us he was going to relieve himself and went towards the fields. Within minutes, a pack of dogs attacked him,” he said.
The child’s uncle said they were working nearby and rushed to the spot after hearing his cries. The family first took the injured boy to Sultanpur Lodhi, from where he was referred to Jalandhar Civil Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Authorities have not yet issued an official statement regarding action against stray dog menace in the area.
