New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday (January 7) said that nobody could read a dog's mind when it is in the mood to bite. A three-judge bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N.V. Anjaria made the remark while hearing the stray dogs case. Notably, the hearing in the case began on Tuesday.
The top court questioned the petitioners in the case as to why stray dogs should not be removed from schools, hospitals and courts. The bench highlighted that identifying dogs' behaviour is difficult.
“It’s not just about biting, but also the threat caused by dogs, of accidents. How can you identify which dog is in what mood in the morning? You don’t know," Justice Vikram Nath said, as reported by News18.
The bench also noted that roads have to be clear of stray dogs. It added that it was not necessary that they would bite, but they could cause accidents.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who represented the petitioners in the case, told the apex court that stray dogs can be taken, sterilised and released back in the same area. Replying to Sibal, the top court stated that counselling could not be provided to dogs to prevent them from biting.
"The only thing missing is providing counselling to the dogs so that they do not bite when released back," the bench stated, as reported by NDTV. The apex court also highlighted that it is not just about biting, as accidents can also occur on roads when dogs are around.
The hearing in the case has beenadjourned for tomorrow.
Here's What SC Said IN Its November 7 Order:
On November 7, A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria ordered that all educational institutions, hospitals, public sports complexes, bus stands, depots, and railway stations "be fenced" to prevent the entry of stray dogs. The court added that local bodies must relocate the dogs to designated shelters after vaccination and sterilisation, ensuring they are "not released back to the same spot".
SC Pulled Up State Governments:
On October 27, the Supreme Court pulled up the state governments for not filing an affidavit complying to its August 22 order on stray dogs. The top court had said that India's image has been hit globally due to the stray dog menace.
Supreme Court Modified Its August 11 Order:
In its August 22 order, the top court expanded the scope of the stray dogs case beyond the confines of Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) and directed that all states and Union Territories be made parties in the matter.
In its order, the apex court modified its August 11 order, in which it had directed authorities to shift all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR to shelters.
