New Delhi, Aug 22: The Supreme Court on Friday revised its earlier directions for capture and complete relocation of stray dogs in the Delhi-NCR region, now directing that the picked up stray dogs must be released to their original territories after sterilisation and immunisation, unless they are infected with rabies or show aggressive behaviour.
The three-judge Bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N.V. Anjaria modified its earlier directions and issued a fresh order.
The Justice Nath-led Bench, which had reserved its decision last week in the suo motu case titled "In Re: City Hounded by Strays, Kids Pay Price," stressed the importance of establishing dedicated feeding areas for stray dogs, while also imposing restrictions on public feeding.
Expanding the scope of proceedings beyond Delhi-NCR, the Supreme Court included all Union Territories and state governments in the case, aiming to create a nationwide policy on stray dogs. It also proposed transferring similar petitions pending in various High Courts to itself.
The Justice Nath-led Bench upheld its previous directive, stating that any organisation or group obstructing the removal of stray dogs would face stringent legal action.
The latest order mandates that each individual dog lover must deposit Rs. 25,000, while NGOs are required to deposit Rs. 2 lakh with the apex court registry. Failure to do so will result in them being barred from further participation in the matter, a move seemingly aimed at curbing frivolous intervention applications.
Earlier, a two-judge Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan had instructed municipal bodies across Delhi-NCR to promptly capture all stray dogs and relocate them to shelters.
Citing serious concerns over public safety and the increasing threat of rabies, the Justice Pardiwala-led Bench described the situation as "grim" and stressed the need for immediate action to protect children, women, and the elderly on the streets.
It directed the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), and civic authorities in Noida, Gurugram, and Ghaziabad to begin capturing all stray dogs within their jurisdictions and relocate them to designated shelters.
The verdict on relocating stray dogs to shelters in Delhi-NCR triggered widespread uproar across various sections of society.
In response, Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai formed a larger 3-judge Bench, as the order issued by the Justice Pardiwala-led Bench appeared to conflict with a 2024 apex court ruling that prohibited the killing of stray animals, highlighting compassion towards all living beings as a fundamental Constitutional value.
