The deceased infant was the daughter of Siddappa and Sudha, residents of the same village.
According to family members, the incident occurred in the early hours of May 9 when the baby was sleeping in the verandah of the house while the mother was engaged in household chores. A stray dog reportedly entered the house premises and attacked the infant.
Speaking to reporters, the mother said she rushed to the spot after hearing the baby cry loudly and found the dog biting the child repeatedly. "By the time I drove the dog away, the baby had sustained severe injuries on the head, face and other parts of the body," she said.
The infant was immediately shifted to BRIMS for treatment, but succumbed to the injuries later in the day.
Senior paediatrician Shanthala Koujalgi confirmed the death.
The incident triggered outrage among villagers, who alleged that the stray dog menace had gone unchecked in the village despite repeated complaints. Residents said packs of stray dogs were frequently seen roaming the area and blamed the authorities for negligence.
They demanded immediate measures to control the stray dog population and sought compensation for the bereaved family.
Khandre expresses grief
Meanwhile, Bidar district in-charge Minister Eshwar B. Khandre expressed grief over the incident and conveyed condolences to the bereaved family.
In a statement issued from Bengaluru, Mr. Khandre said the government will stand with the family during the difficult time and prayed for the peace of the departed soul and strength to the parents to bear the loss.
He directed the district administration to provide a compensation to the family as per rules and also instructed officials to identify aggressive stray dogs in the district and take necessary control measures in accordance with regulations.
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