Bengaluru: 33-year-old mauled by 20 stray dogs in Kodigehalli; officials criticised for inaction

BENGALURU: More than three months after a senior citizen was mauled to death, some 20 stray dogs pounced on a 33-year-old man in Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout, Kodigehalli, north Bengaluru, on Wednesday evening.

Veeresh Ullala suffered severe injuries on his neck and hands. He is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Yelahanka where his condition is said to be stable.


According to police, Veeresh, on an evening walk near a lake with no CCTV coverage, tried to shoo away a stray dog, prompting a pack of dogs to attack him around 7.30pm.

Sridhar, a waterman who rescued Veeresh, said he initially thought the dogs were dragging "a garbage bag" only to realise it was a man. He told TOI: "I threw stones to drive the dogs away, but five dogs turned against me. By the time I reached the man, he was bleeding badly."

Veeresh said that as the dogs closed in on him, there was no way "I could have escaped on my own". "If Sridhar hadn't helped me, I would've lost my life. I've suffered injuries on more than 10 parts of my body. Officials take dogs away and leave them back at the same place. They're not doing anything about the problem. We're scared in our own area."

GBA, MLA come under fire, residents say ‘seek votes from dogs'

Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) officials, who visited the site of the dog attack on Wednesday evening, declared the dogs attacked Veeresh because he was "drunk", only to draw flak from angry residents.

Stating he would address the issue at the earliest, Bengaluru North corporation commissioner Pommala Sunil Kumar acknowledged the doctor's observation that the victim was "intoxicated", but quickly emphasised that "alcohol does not fully explain the brutal nature of the attack".

The commissioner told TOI he was not aware that the stray dog situation was "serious" in Kodigehalli. He said he's been holding grievance-redressal meetings weekly and receives 5-6 complaints on stray dogs during every meeting.

Claiming that the attack was the fourth in recent times, a group of women residents said neither GBA nor MLA has done anything to handle the dog menace. They instead put the blame on the people. "Let them seek votes and collect taxes from dogs in the next elections," a woman said.

The area is represented by Krishna Byre Gowda, revenue minister.

Venkatesh, son of Seethappa who was killed in a similar attack in July, told TOI the number of stray dogs has gone up in the interim.

"The area has many stray dogs, which not only chase people on the streets but also enter our homes, even on the first or second floor," said Chowdappa, a resident. "Civic officials say they are required by the law to release the captured dogs back in the same area within 10-15 days. That's why their numbers are increasing. We rarely step out at night."

A resident said, "When we are busy inside the house, kids playing outside are sitting ducks for such attacks. Dogs seem to have more value than humans. Our MLA hasn't visited us even once. GBA officials, too, don't bother to catch dogs. We suffer here while officials sit in AC rooms."