The stray dogs surrounded the boy in an open field and killed him. (Representational image)

A six-year-old boy was killed by over half a dozen of stray dogs in front of his mother in Bhopal's Awadhpuri area on Friday. Sanju was playing in an open field, just 300 metres from his home in Shiv Sangram Nagar when he was attacked by the dogs. The boy's mother tried to save him from the dogs but she was unsuccessful.

The woman, who had given birth last month and underwent a surgery, was resting at her home when her husband came from work and asked for the boy. She stepped out to look for the boy and found him surrounded by the dogs, just 300 meters away from their home. She started screaming and ran towards her home asking for help. By the time neighbors gathered, Sanju was laying motionless. The boy was taken to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

The locals have put the blame on the municipal corporation, which, they claimed, has not taken any measures despite the increasing population of stray dogs in the area.

"It is very tragic incident. The municipal corporation is making efforts to control the stray dog menace in Bhopal. But we are caught up in the guidelines issued by Supreme Court and animal protection groups. I will soon file a plea to get the rule amended," Bhopal Mayor Alok Sharma said.

Last year, a pack of stray dogs attacked a six-year-old boy outside his house in Gokul Dham area injuring him severely.