Mumbai: Dog Owner Booked After Pit Bull Attacks 11-Year-Old Boy

Mumbai: A 43-year-old man Sohail Hasan Khan was arrested after his pet dog attacked and injured an 11-year-old boy in the eastern suburbs here, police said on July 20, 2025, Sunday, according to a PTI report. An official said that a video of the attack that took place in the Mankhurd area on Thursday night is doing the rounds on social media. As per a complaint lodged by the injured boy’s father, the accused, Sohail Hasan Khan (43), let go of his dog, a pit bull, on the child who was playing inside a parked autorickshaw in a residential area, he said. 

Sections under which the case has been registered against the accused

According to a News 18 report, a case has been registered against the accused Sohail Hasan Khan under sections 291 (negligent abandonment of animals), 125 (causing simple hurt) and 125(A) of the Indian Penal Code (BNS). Sohail has also been issued a notice under section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). 
As per the PTI report, Sohail has now been released. 

Centre told states to ban specific breeds of dogs including Pitbull terrier

As per PTI, due to the rising cases of people dying from pet dog attacks, in 2024, the Central government had directed states to ban the sale and breeding of 23 breeds of ferocious dogs. These breeds include Pitbull terrier, tosa inu, American Staffordshire terrier, fila Brasileiro, dogo Argentino and American bulldog. The Boerboel kangal, Central Asian shepherd dog and Caucasian shepherd dog are also the breeds sought to be banned. Other breeds are the south Russian shepherd dog, tornjak, sarplaninac, Japanese tosa and akita, mastiffs, terriers, Rhodesian ridgeback, wolf dogs, canario, akbash dog, Moscow guard dog, cane corso and bandog.

However, in January 2025, the Central government has informed the Bombay High Court that at present it is not acting on the March 2024 circular which had declared 23 dog breeds to be “dangerous and ferocious”. The circular had also prohibited the import, breeding, sale of these dog breeds as pet dogs and for other purposes.

Also read: UP: Three-Year-Old Dies Of Suspected Rabies In Aligarh, 10 Other Kids Bitten By Same Dog Remain Untreated