FIR, Rs 10,000 penalty on pet owner after dog bites child in Greater Noida

An FIR has been lodged against a high-rise society resident after his pet dog bit a six-year-old child inside their building's lift in Greater Noida (West), a police official said Thursday.

The Greater Noida Authority also slapped a penalty of Rs 10,000 on the pet owner and asked him to bear the medical expenses of the child.

According to the complaint lodged by the police, the child was returning to his 16th-floor home in La Residentia society after school on Tuesday and he was with his mother inside their building's lift.

The CCTV footage of the episode also made its way to social media, purportedly showing the dog lunging at the child and biting on his arm.

There were only three people -- the child in the school uniform, his mother and the pet owner -- besides the dog in the lift at the time, the footage showed.

The mother and the child were in the lift, which went to the basement of the building before going up. In the basement, another building resident entered the lift along with his pet dog, the complaint stated.

Within moments of entering the lift, the dog bit the child even as his owner tried to control him, it said.

The FIR was lodged Wednesday evening under section 289 (negligent behaviour with respect to an animal) of the Indian Penal Code, a police officer said, adding further probe was underway in the case.

Meanwhile, the Greater Noida Authority also issued a notice to the pet owner over the incident, according to an official.

The incident took place because of your irresponsible behaviour in handling your dog, Dr. Premchand, in-charge of the health department for Greater Noida Authority stated in the notice.

The pet owner has been asked to remit the penalty amount within the next seven working days and also told to bear the medical expenses of the injured child, according to the notice.

If you do not comply with the notice, legal action would be taken against you and you will be responsible for it, the notice stated.