Woman convicted for culpable homicide attempt, negligence over dog attack
A city court has convicted a woman for attempting culpable homicide and negligent conduct with respect to an animal after her pet dog attacked a former employee, causing grievous and life-threatening injuries to the victim’s face and neck.
Additional Sessions Judge Samar Vishal held Rajni Singh guilty under Sections 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) and 289 IPC (negligent conduct with respect to animals), while acquitting her of the charge under Section 509 IPC (acts intended to insult the modesty of a woman).
“The core incident, namely the dog bite causing grievous and life-threatening injuries to the complainant, stands proved beyond a reasonable doubt through the unimpeached testimony of the injured and the strong corroboration provided by medical evidence,” the court said in its judgement dated January 24.
On June 11, 2020, the complainant, Sapna, who had worked for the accused, visited Singh’s residence in Malviya Nagar to collect her pending salary.
The prosecution alleged that after Sapna refused an alleged indecent demand, Singh intentionally unleashed her pet dog in the room, resulting in a brutal attack that left the victim’s face permanently disfigured and caused the loss of two teeth.
The victim also had to undergo vaccination, and upon request, Singh refused to assist her financially with the medical costs. Accepting the prosecution’s version, the court noted that the victim’s testimony was “clear, cogent and consistent” and was corroborated by unimpeachable medical evidence.
“The complainant is an injured witness, and the law accords a higher degree of credibility to the testimony of an injured witness, as her presence at the spot is natural and her injuries provide an in-built guarantee of truthfulness,” the court said.
The court emphasised that the testimony of a sole witness does not become unreliable just because other witnesses turned hostile or do not support the prosecution’s version.
