A Delhi woman has petitioned the Delhi High Court seeking Rs 20 lakh in compensation from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), claiming she suffered severe physical, emotional and financial trauma after being attacked by a pack of stray dogs earlier this year.

According to her plea, Priyanka Rai was riding pillion on a motorcycle near Khirki Village Road in South Delhi’s Malviya Nagar in March when she was mauled by a “pack of stray dogs,” sustaining multiple bite wounds.

Rai’s claim is based on a 2023 ruling by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which introduced a formula to calculate compensation in dog bite cases. The formula, laid out by Justice Vinod S Bhardwaj, determines relief based on factors such as the number of teeth marks and the extent of injury, including whether “flesh has been pulled off the skin.”

Under this formula, Rai has demanded Rs 12 lakh for a total wound area measuring 12 cm, calculated at Rs 20,000 per 0.2 cm of injury. She has also sought Rs 4.2 lakh for tooth marks at the rate of Rs 10,000 per tooth, claiming the attack “involved the use of all 42 teeth of the dog.” Additionally, she has requested Rs 3.8 lakh for emotional trauma, bringing her total compensation demand to Rs 20 lakh.

The High Court had initially issued a notice to the MCD in May, directing it to respond to Rai’s petition. On October 29, the court granted the civic body additional time to file its reply.

The 2023 judgment by the Punjab and Haryana High Court had not only outlined compensation guidelines for dog bite cases but also extended them to animal-related accidents involving stray cattle and other domestic or wild animals – including cows, bulls, donkeys, nilgai, and buffaloes. It mandated that compensation awards must be issued within four months of filing a claim.