Canine terror spreading, villagers petrified
People are moving in groups, armed with canes and axes. There is resentment against Sitapur dist admn for failing to curb the menace
SITAPUR: The terror of feral canines is no more confined to just 7-8 km radius in villages of Khairabad area of Sitapur district. It is now gradually spreading to other distant villages of Sitapur after fresh attacks on children on Friday morning, causing death of two children, aged 7 and 10. Two others were severely injured in the dog attack.
Fear prevails among children as well as adults who are reluctant to go to their mango orchards alone. People move in groups and carry canes, rods and axes to combat the canines.
The fresh attacks took place in Mahsingpur, Budhanapur, Chaubeypur and Peepur villages of Khairabad and Sitapur town area, even as the district administration officials and a four-member team of dogcatchers were combing forested zones in Tikaria, Gulpuria, Kholia and adjoining villages Sharfapur, Maluhi Sariya and Govind Sarai of Khairabad where feral dogs had killed children on Tuesday morning.
The distance between two spots where feral dogs attacked kids on Tuesday and Friday is nearly 18 kilometres. “I had been hearing about dog attacks in areas adjoining Tikaria and Gulpuria villages for the past 4-5 months but never thought that this could happen to me,” said Nisha, mother of 10-year-old Virendra Lodh who was killed in one such attack on Friday morning.
Narrating the incident, Nisha said she never allowed her son to go out alone and on Friday morning too, he had gone to attend natures’ call along with two other kids Shyamu (10) and Raju (11) at around 7am. “Shyamu and Raju came running when a pack of dogs surrounded and attacked Virendra. I immediately rushed to rescue my son but I was late. The dogs had bitten him so badly that he died before reaching the hospital,” said the sobbing mother.
Shyamu said there was a pack of at least seven dogs who pulled down Virendra and attacked him when they were attending natures’ call around 200 metres from their houses. He said he threw stones to scare the dogs but it was in vain. . He said when some of the dogs moved towards him he ran towards the village and informed other villagers.
Sita Ram Rajvanshi, husband of Budhanapur village pradhan Shyam Kumari, said the incident had really terrorised the villagers and there was much resentment against Sitapur district administration which had failed to curb the killer dog menace. In fact, it was spreading to a bigger area, he said, adding the villagers had killed one of the attacker dogs when they were alerted after hearing Nisha’s screams while the remaining dogs fled in different directions.
The same pack of dogs apparently moved towards Mahsinghpur village. Here, the dogs killed a seven-year-old girl Geeta when she and her eight-year-old cousin sister Sita had gone to attend natures’ call near their house at around 7.30 am.
Sita, an eyewitness, said the pack of six dogs surrounded Geeta and pulled her down. She said she was terrified after seeing such violent dogs and came running to her house to inform her parents.
“I and other family members rushed to rescue Geeta but by then the dogs had killed my daughter and were dragging the body,” said Gudiya, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Bhallu, a resident of Mahsinghpur village, said the dogs were initially reluctant to move away from the body when only 3-4 villagers reached there but fled when more people turned up.
The dogs thereafter attacked and severely injured seven-yearold Vinkal and 11-year-old Rinki in adjoining Peerpur and Chaubeypur villages.