Woman mauled to death by stray dogs in Barwani:Doctor reveals severe mutilation; 800 dog-bite cases this year

Fear of stray dogs has intensified in Barwani district headquarters, where adults, not just children, are now at risk. On June 12, 35-year-old Leela Bai Bakawale, who earned a living by collecting scrap and firewood, was mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs. Doctors said she suffered deep injuries to her nose, ears, hands, and feet. After her post-mortem, the woman was cremated on Saturday. On the second day of the incident, Dainik Bhaskar spoke to the doctor who conducted the post-mortem, eyewitnesses and the victim’s father. An examination of dog-bite data also revealed alarming figures. In the district headquarters, with a population of 60,000, around 800 dog-bite cases were reported between January 1 and June 12, meaning 4-5 people are attacked by stray dogs every day. Including unreported cases, the actual number could exceed 1,000. Ferocious dogs still roaming after the accident It is surprising that even the day after such a big incident (Saturday), the scene at the brick kiln was like any other day. Laborers were working. Nearby, the same pack of dogs that had attacked Leela Bai was roaming fearlessly. No team from the municipality had arrived at the spot to catch the dogs. Dr. Anil Singh Jamod, the surgeon at the district hospital who performed Leela Bai’s post-mortem, said, This is the first case of death due to dog attack this year. The woman had more than 6 large and deep wounds on her body. Dogs had severely bitten her nose, ears, throat, hands, feet, mouth, and even her head. It seems that when the woman fell to the ground, the dogs bit into her neck and tore off flesh. She died on the spot due to excessive blood loss. Father is old, husband is ill, and son cannot speak Leela Bai was the sole earning member of her family. With her gone, the family is on the verge of starvation. Her weeping elderly father, Narayan Nirgude, said, ‘Her husband, Dilip, has been ill for a long time. Her 12-year-old son cannot speak.’ Every day, after finishing household chores, Leela would go to collect scrap and wood, which kept the family’s hearth burning. The father, weeping, asked, ‘I am old, I don’t know how many days I will live, but after my daughter, what will happen to this deaf and mute child now?’ Former councilor Rakesh Makwane has demanded immediate financial assistance from the administration for this helpless family. Many wounds on her body The victim’s father said Leela had left her son with him on Friday, as she did every day. In the evening, when she did not return before dark, he stepped outside and waited for her. Shortly after, some people informed him that she had been attacked by dogs near a brick kiln. When he reached the spot, Leela was already dead, her body covered with a cloth. A crowd and police personnel were present. After the cloth was removed, he saw deep wounds all over her body, and the dogs had even torn hair from her head. Leela had been returning home with groceries; a bag of groceries and a bundle of wood were found lying beside her body. Kiln operators Golu Gole, Arun, and Vishal stated that they had heard dogs barking and a woman screaming in the evening. When they ran to the spot, 5-6 dogs were surrounding and tearing at Leela Bai. The woman was screaming, ‘Help! Help!’ We chased the dogs away by throwing stones, but by then she was seriously injured. Demand for family assistance Former BJP councilor Rakesh Makwane stated that Leela Bakawale used to support her family by collecting wood and scrap daily. After her passing, the family is facing difficulties even for food. The administration should help. Rakesh says that this lime kiln area has the highest number of dog bite cases. A case of a child’s death due to a dog attack also came to light. (However, the administration has not confirmed Rakesh’s claim.) CMO listed future plans When Municipal CMO Sonali Sharma was questioned about this negligence, instead of on-ground action, she listed paper plans. She stated that tenders were issued for stray dog control and an ART (Animal Rescue and Treatment) Center, but no agency showed interest. Now, tenders will be re-issued. A letter has been written to the SDM to provide land for the ART Center. The CMO said that a plan is being made for dog vaccination to reduce the risk of rabies, and efforts for a permanent solution are ongoing.