Mumbai man sentenced to four months for dog attack on neighbour in apartment lift

A local court in Mumbai has sentenced a Worli resident to four months in jail for offences under Sections 324 and 289 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) after his pet Husky dog bit a neighbour during a confrontation inside a building lift.

Judicial Magistrate Suhas P Bhosale, presiding over the case in Dadar court, convicted the accused, a resident of Alfa Apartment on Sir Pochkhanwala Road, Worli for voluntarily causing hurt (Section 324) and negligent handling of an animal (Section 289). The court sentenced him to four months’ imprisonment.

The incident occurred on February 1, 2018, around 10 am, when Mr Ramik Shah, a resident of the same building, was in the lift from the fourth floor with his one-and-a-half-year-old son and domestic help. 

The lift halted at the third floor, where the accused attempted to enter with his pet dog. Mr Shah pleaded with the accused not to enter, citing his son’s cynophobia (fear of dogs). Despite repeated requests, the accused dragged his dog into the lift, allegedly provoking it to attack. The dog bit Mr Shah on the left wrist.

Following the incident, Mr Shah received treatment at Podar Hospital and later lodged a police complaint. The investigation, led by PSI Navnath Rupnawar, included spot inspection, witness statements, and CCTV footage from outside the lift area.

The court found the testimonies of Mr Shah and his servant Anuj Singh credible. The medical report confirmed bite marks, and although the CCTV footage did not capture the bite itself, it corroborated the series of events leading to the incident.

Accused lawyer sought relief under the Probation of Offenders Act, citing his clean record, but the court emphasised the seriousness of the incident, particularly as it involved a child in a confined space. The court sentenced him to four months’ simple imprisonment.