AMU dog attack case: NHRC finds negligence of authorities, recommends relief of Rs 7.5 lakh for victim's kin

New Delhi: The NHRC on Friday said it has found "negligence" by authorities in a stray dog attack incident that took place last year on Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) campus that killed a 65-year-old man.

In a statement, the National Human Rights Commission said it has recommended payment of a relief amount of Rs 7.5 lakh to the next of kin of the victim.

Safdar Ali Khan was mauled to death by a pack of street dogs when he was out on a morning walk in a park inside the AMU campus last year in April.

The incident was widely reported and a video of it also went viral on social media.

The NHRC "finds negligence of the authorities" in last year's stray dog attack resulting in the death of a person at the AMU campus in Uttar Pradesh, the rights panel said in the statement.

The NHRC has asked UP government, through its chief secretary, that it pay Rs.7.5 lakh to the next of kin of Khan, it said.

A compliance report of the proof of payment has also been sought within eight weeks, the statement said.

The commission had registered a suo motu case based on a media report dated April 17, 2023 about the incident and issued the notices to the chief secretary, the government of Uttar Pradesh, the vice-chancellor, Aligarh Muslim University, and the commissioner, Aligarh Municipal Corporation seeking a detailed report on the incident.

The state government was expected to inform whether any relief had been given to the next of kin of the deceased, the statement said.

Based on the material on record received in response from the authorities concerned, the commission had issued a notice to the chief secretary 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, it added.

However, the authorities concerned forwarded a letter from the registrar of the AMU, stating that the notice of the Commission "does not contain any instruction the university must comply with," the statement said.

There is no commission of violation of human rights or negligence in the prevention of violation of human rights and abetment on the part of the university, it said, quoting the response of authorities to its notice.

The commission noted that the 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 added.