India’s Supreme Court is gearing up for a significant hearing on November 3, focusing on the country’s stray dog issue. The court has mandated the physical presence of Chief Secretaries from all states and Union Territories, with the exception of West Bengal and Telangana.
This directive stems from a previous hearing on October 27, where the top court expressed its dissatisfaction. It noted that many states and UTs had failed to submit compliance affidavits, which were due following an August 22 order. These affidavits were meant to detail the actions taken to implement the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules.
The upcoming hearing on Monday will be presided over by a special three-Judge Bench, including Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N.V. Anjaria.
On October 31, the Supreme Court firmly rejected a request from Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to allow Chief Secretaries to appear virtually. The bench emphasized a lack of “respect” for its orders, reiterating that physical attendance was mandatory to account for the non-compliance.
During the October 27 proceedings, the court highlighted that only West Bengal, Telangana, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) had submitted the required compliance affidavits. The judges had strongly criticized the other states and UTs, pointing out that ongoing incidents related to stray dogs were negatively impacting India’s international image.
The scope of this stray dog case was previously broadened by the apex court beyond just the Delhi-National Capital Region to include all states and Union Territories as parties. The court had also instructed municipal authorities to submit detailed affidavits, including comprehensive statistics on available resources such as dog pounds, veterinarians, dog-catching staff, and specialized vehicles and cages for effective implementation of the ABC Rules.
This suo motu case was initiated on July 28, prompted by a media report highlighting incidents of stray dog bites and rabies, particularly affecting children in the national capital. The court underscored that the application of the ABC Rules is intended to be consistent across all of India.