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Two students from Bengaluru’s Dr BR Ambedkar School of Economics (BASE), located inside the Jnanabharathi campus near Kengeri, were attacked by stray dogs on Tuesday, August 12 and admitted to a private hospital with bite injuries.
The injured students have been identified as Soujanya G J from Haveri and Rega Nikshitha from Telangana, both pursuing an Integrated MSc in Economics. Suralkar Vikas Kishor, Special Commissioner (Health and Sanitation), Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), confirmed the incident. “They are fine now. But I am not very sure of the exact details of the case. We are awaiting a detailed veterinary report,” he was reported to have said.
The incident took place a day after the Supreme Court issued stringent directives to civic bodies in Delhi and the National Capital Region to catch, sterilise, and permanently shelter stray dogs, warning of legal consequences for any resistance to the process. A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan had ordered that stray dogs be removed from vulnerable areas on priority, stating, “Infants and young children, not at any cost, should fall prey to rabies.”
The court stressed that the action should “inspire confidence” among citizens that they can move freely without fear of being bitten by stray dogs. “No sentiments of any nature can be involved,” the bench observed.
In Karnataka, the issue of stray dog attacks also dominated the Legislative Council on Tuesday, with several Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs) tearing into the state government for what they described as its poor handling of canines. The debate was sparked by JD(S) member SL Bhojegowda, who highlighted the growing problem in Chikkamagaluru.
Opposition leader Chalavadi Narayanaswamy and other MLCs demanded that the government file a special petition before the Supreme Court to remove legal hurdles and clear urban localities of strays.
Some members even urged the state to first remove stray dogs from the premises of the Vidhana Soudha itself, saying human safety must take priority.