In a potential relief for animal rights advocates, Chief Justice of India BR Gavai on Wednesday said the Supreme Court would ‘look into’ the matter of relocating stray dogs in the Delhi-NCR region.
The remarks followed a lawyer’s mention of a plea concerning the sterilisation and vaccination of community dogs in Delhi.
The lawyer also cited a 2024 apex court ruling by a Justice JK Maheshwari-led Bench, which prohibited the killing of stray animals and underscored compassion towards all living beings as a constitutional value.
Responding, CJI Gavai remarked, “But the other judge Bench has already passed orders. I will look into this.”
He was referring to Monday’s verdict by a Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan, which instructed municipal authorities across Delhi-NCR to capture all stray dogs immediately and relocate them to shelters.
The two-judge Bench further highlighted serious public safety risks and the growing threat of rabies, describing the situation as ‘grim’. It stressed that urgent measures were essential to protect children, women, and the elderly on the streets.
Directives to Municipal Authorities
The Court directed the NDMC (New Delhi Municipal Council), MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi), and civic agencies in Noida, Gurugram, and Ghaziabad to clear the streets of stray dogs. It warned that any organisation or individual obstructing the process would face strict legal consequences.
Authorities were instructed to begin relocating all stray dogs within their jurisdictions to designated shelters.
In areas where such facilities do not exist, the Court ordered the construction of shelters without delay and asked for a report on the infrastructure within eight weeks.
The Supreme Court’s ruling on stray dog relocation has sparked widespread reactions.
Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, criticised the directives as ‘a step back from decades of humane, science-backed policy’.
Meanwhile, several actors and animal lovers took to social media to voice concern over the decision, highlighting the plight of the voiceless creatures.
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