Several stray dogs were found outside the Mangaluru City Corporation headquarters in Mangaluru on Saturday. | Photo credit: HS Manjunath
The post-mortem of Dayananda Gatti (60), who was found dead at Kumpala on the outskirts of Mangaluru on Friday, has reportedly revealed that he was bitten by several dogs, apart from the dog that was caught by the civilian personnel.
Mr Gatti’s body was found in a pool of blood inside the house. A team of forensic experts found his left eyeball lying on the ground. The police, who initially suspected murder, based on the opinion of forensic experts after a preliminary examination, said that the death was caused by a dog bite.
An autopsy on Saturday revealed dog bites on the left side of the head, hands, thigh and foot. Official sources said the bite marks were from different dogs.
The victim may have fallen on top of the dog, which initially bit him in the face. Other dogs may have bitten him on other parts of his body. After being bitten, Mr. Gatti tried to cross the road to enter the compound of the house where he died.
On the basis of information from local citizens, they caught a dog that was moving in the locality with traces of blood on its face. The dog was handed over to the Animal Care Trust and died on Friday evening. Officials said samples from the dead dog were sent for rabies testing.
Expressing concern over the incident during the quarterly meeting of the Karnataka Development Program (KDP) Control Committee here on Saturday, MLC Ivan D’Souza said the state government should release compensation to the family members of the deceased.
Deputy Director of Animal Husbandry N. Arun Kumar Shetty said the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department had issued a circular for payment of compensation of ₹ 5,000 for dog bites and ₹ 5,000 for death due to dog bites.
Deputy Commissioner HV Darshan said there was no such directive from the Urban Development Department. “I will speak to the urban development minister and take necessary action,” said district in-charge health and welfare minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, who presided over the meeting.
Mangaluru City Corporation Commissioner Ravichandra Nayak said that according to the new guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court, city local bodies have to create dog shelters for strays found in public places. It will take time for MCC to find a place for dog shelters, he said.
Mr. Rao tasked a committee comprising general manager of zilla panchayat Narwade Vinayaka Karbhari and Mr. Nayak to find sites for dog shelters in Mangaluru. These dogs should be fed and cared for properly, he said.
Published – 15 Nov 2025 20:55 IST
