NHRC finds negligence of the authorities in last year’s stray dog attack resulting in the death of a person at the AMU campus, Uttar Pradesh

Press Release

National Human Rights Commission

New Delhi, 3rd May, 2024

NHRC finds negligence of the authorities in last year’s stray dog attack resulting in the death of a person at the AMU campus, Uttar Pradesh

Recommends payment of Rs 7.5 lakh as relief to the victim’s next of kin

Compliance report sought within eight weeks from the state government

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India has asked the Government of Uttar Pradesh, through its Chief Secretary, that it pay Rs.7.5 lakh to the next of kin of Safadr Ali Khan who was mauled to death by violent stray dogs in the Aligarh Muslim University campus in April last year. A compliance report of the proof of payment has also been sought within eight weeks.

The Commission had registered a suo motu case based on a media report dated 17th April, 2023 about the incident and issued the notices to the Chief Secretary, Government of Uttar Pradesh, the Vice-Chancellor, Aligarh Muslim University, and the Commissioner, Aligarh Municipal Corporation calling for a detailed report in the matter. The State Government was expected to inform whether any relief had been given to the deceased's Next of Kin (NoK).

Based on the material on record received in response from the concerned authorities, the Commission had issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, Government of Uttar Pradesh to show cause why Rs 7.5 lakh should not be recommended to be paid as monetary relief to the next of kin of the victim. However, the concerned authorities forwarded a letter from the Registrar, AMU stating that the notice of the Commission does not contain any instruction the university must comply with. There is no commission of violation of human rights or negligence in the prevention of violation of human rights and abetments on the part of the university.

The Commission noted that the concerned authorities were apparently passing the buck in the matter. Therefore, it observed that the benefits arising from the order cannot be denied to the victims of a violation of human rights by the authority due to an act of negligence and abetment by the public servant. Accordingly, it confirmed the amount of relief of Rs 7.5 lakh as mentioned in its show cause notice recommending that it has to be paid to the victim’s next of kin.

It may be recalled that a 65-year-old, Safadr Ali Khan was attacked to death by a pack of street dogs when he was out in a park inside Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Campus for a morning walk. The incident was widely reported and a video of it also went viral on social media.

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