8-year-old girl mauled to death by pack of dogs on Lucknow outskirts

LUCKNOW: An eight-year-old girl was allegedly mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs in Tarouna village under Rahimabad police station limits on the city's outskirts on Sunday evening.

The victim, identified as Anshika, a Class 1 student, had stepped out of her house alone around 6 pm when the attack is believed to have occurred. Her mutilated body was later discovered in a field nearly 500 metres away from her home.


According to villagers, a group of women who had gone towards the fields, noticed a body lying on the ground. Frightened, they rushed back to alert others. Soon, locals gathered and reached the spot with sticks, only to find the blood-soaked body of the child lying in a severely mutilated condition.

Eyewitnesses said a pack of stray dogs was seen sitting at a short distance from the spot where the body was found.

Villagers suspect the dogs, believed to be from a neighbouring village, were responsible for the fatal attack.

The body bore deep bite marks, especially on the face, which was reportedly disfigured beyond recognition. Flesh wounds and claw marks were visible, and paw prints were found on the body, indicating a violent mauling.

Family members were informed immediately, following which the body was taken back home. Police were also alerted and reached the scene shortly thereafter.

Officers present at the spot were reportedly shocked by the brutality of the incident. Anshika was the youngest among three siblings. Her father, Dilip Kashyap, said she had left the house in the evening, and the family was informed of her death shortly after. Her mother, Soni, fainted upon seeing the body, while other family members were inconsolable.

Station house officer, Rahimabad, Arun Kumar Singh, said that a police team has gone to visit the kin of dead girl and ascertain exact sequence of events in the incident.