The Supreme Court on Thursday took a tough stance during the hearing of the petition filed in the case related to stray dogs. Responding to the objection that some rules made by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi were ‘inhuman’, the court said that in the next hearing a video will be played and the question will be asked ‘what is humanity after all’.
Hearing will be held on January 7
Before the bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who is appearing in the case, said that the meeting of the special bench of three judges to be constituted on Thursday to hear the case has been cancelled. On this, Justice Nath clarified that now this case will be listed on January 7.
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What happened during the hearing?
Advocate Sibal said that the problem is that in the meantime the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has made some rules which are completely contrary. When the bench said it would consider the matter on January 7, Sibal said the authorities would implement the rules in December itself. They argued that they would enforce it and remove the dogs. They don’t have shelter places.
Justice Nath said that no problem, let them do it, we will consider it. Sibal sought hearing of the case on Friday, saying the authorities did not even have shelters for the dogs. “What is being done is extremely inhumane,” he said.
Justice Mehta told Sibal that on the next date we will play a video in your interest and ask you what is humanity. Sibal replied that they would also play a video to show what was happening.
Sibal said, “The problem is that your honorable judge has passed an order and we respect that. But the issue is that there are statutory rules. The bench said it will consider the matter on January 7.
What instructions did the Supreme Court give on November 7?
Let us inform that on November 7, taking note of the “alarming increase” in incidents of dog bites within institutional areas like educational institutions, hospitals and railway stations, the Supreme Court directed to immediately shift stray dogs to designated shelters after proper sterilization and vaccination.
The three-judge special bench had also said that stray dogs so caught would not be released back to the place from where they were caught. The bench had directed the authorities to ensure removal of all cattle and other stray animals from state highways, national highways and expressways.
It said the recurrence of dog bite incidents within institutional areas, including sports complexes, reflects not only administrative apathy but also a “systemic failure” to secure these complexes from preventable threats.
The Supreme Court had issued several directions in the case filed taking suo motu cognizance of the menace of stray dogs. It is hearing a suo motu case initiated on July 28 in connection with media reports on the incidence of spread of rabies due to the bite of stray dogs, especially among children, in the capital Delhi.
