BENGALURU: A four-year-old girl bitten by a dog and being rushed to a hospital died and her parents and uncle suffered injuries when traffic cops suddenly stopped their bike in the middle of a road in Mandya Monday for document verification. As the girl’s father lost balance while stopping the bike, all of them fell on the road, and the girl was run over by a truck.Following the accident and protests, Mandya superintendent of police Mallikarjuna Baladandi suspended three assistant sub-inspectors for negligence. The accident occurred near Swarnasandra on Bengaluru-Mysuru highway. The victim, Rithiksha, daughter of Ashok and Vanishri from Goravanahalli in Maddur taluk, Mandya district, was playing outside her house when she was bitten by a dog. She was rushed to Maddur taluk hospital, where the doctor told family members to take her to Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS).Ashok, Vanishri and uncle Bhaskar Gowda took the child on a two-wheeler to MIMS. When they entered Mandya, their vehicle was stopped by a traffic constable for helmet inspection. After explaining the medical emergency, they were allowed to proceed. However, another officer stopped the bike some distance away, leading to the accident. The child suffered head injuries and died on the spot.Citizens staged flash protest and blamed cops for failure to exercise sensitivity during a medical emergency. SP Baladandi informed the girl’s family and protesters that they had taken action against police personnel Jayaram, Nagaraj, and Gurudev, and showed them a copy of the suspension order. Later, the family members decided to withdraw the protest.Baladandi said traffic officers were conducting checks without safety measures. “We’ve instructed our personnel to enforce the helmet rule only when clear violations are visible. At the same time, we urge the public to follow rules.”Deputy commissioner Kumara and ZP CEO Nandini also spoke to the family members and assured help. The family members urged the DC to improve facilities at taluk hospital and add treatment for dog-bite cases. “Else, we wouldn’t have come to MIMS,” they said.