Delhi woman claims Rs 20 lakh compensation from MCD for dog bite

A Delhi woman has sought Rs 20 lakh in compensation from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) after she was brutally attacked by a pack of stray dogs earlier this year.

In her petition to the Delhi High Court, Priyanka Rai said she was attacked while riding pillion on a motorcycle near Khirki Village Road in Malviya Nagar in March. 

She claimed severe physical and emotional trauma due to the incident and based her compensation demand on a formula set by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2023, which defined compensation based on wound size and the number of teeth marks.

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Rai sought Rs 12 lakh for a total wound area of 12 cm, calculated at Rs 20,000 per 0.2 cm, and Rs 4.2 lakh for 42 tooth marks, at Rs 10,000 per tooth. She also sought Rs 3.8 lakh for mental trauma, bringing the total to Rs 20 lakh.

The Delhi High Court had earlier issued notice to the MCD in May and recently extended its deadline to respond. 

The 2023 Punjab and Haryana HC ruling, issued by Justice Vinod S. Bhardwaj, was based on 193 similar petitions and directed authorities to compensate victims of attacks by stray or wild animals within four months of filing claims.