New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta’s request seeking virtual appearances for chief secretaries of all states—except West Bengal and Telangana—at the upcoming hearing on the stray dogs case. The court made it clear that all concerned officials must appear in person before it on November 3.
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta expressed displeasure over the lack of compliance with its earlier directives. “When we require them to come and file compliance affidavits, they are just sleeping over it. No respect for the order of the court. Then all right, let them come,” Justice Nath remarked.
Mehta had urged the bench to permit virtual appearances, citing logistical reasons, but the court refused to entertain the request.
During the October 27 hearing, the Supreme Court had ordered the chief secretaries of all states—excluding West Bengal and Telangana—to explain why compliance affidavits had not been filed despite its August 22 order. That order had expanded the scope of the case to include all states and union territories, directing them to report on their mechanisms for implementing the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules.
The court had asked municipal authorities nationwide to submit affidavits detailing available resources such as dog pounds, veterinarians, dog-catching teams, and specially equipped vehicles for sterilization and vaccination drives.
The suo motu case was initiated on July 28 after a media report highlighted rising incidents of stray dog bites leading to rabies, particularly among children, in Delhi and other parts of the country. The apex court has since sought uniform enforcement of ABC Rules to control the growing stray dog population across India.
