The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta seeking permission for state chief secretaries to appear virtually in the ongoing stray dogs case, directing that they must attend the hearing in person on November 3.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta made the direction while responding to Mehta’s request that chief secretaries, except those of West Bengal and Telangana, be allowed to join the proceedings through video conferencing. The court refused to relax its earlier order, emphasising the lack of seriousness among state officials in complying with its directions.
“When we require them to come and file compliance affidavit, they are just sleeping over it. No respect for the order of the court. Then alright, let them come,” Justice Nath observed, rejecting the Solicitor General’s request for virtual appearance.
The issue arose from the court’s October 27 order directing chief secretaries of all states and Union Territories—except West Bengal and Telangana—to personally appear before it on November 3. The court noted that despite its August 22 order, many states had failed to file compliance affidavits detailing measures taken to manage the stray dog menace.
On August 22, the top court had expanded the scope of the case beyond the Delhi-NCR region, making all states and UTs parties to the proceedings. It directed municipal authorities to submit affidavits containing comprehensive data on infrastructure and manpower available for the enforcement of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, including details of dog pounds, veterinarians, dog-catching personnel, vehicles, and cages.
The case stems from a suo motu action initiated by the Supreme Court on July 28, following alarming reports of stray dog attacks, particularly incidents involving children contracting rabies in the national capital. The court had taken note of the widespread public concern and sought uniform implementation of the ABC Rules across India.
The matter will now come up on November 3, when the chief secretaries of all states and Union Territories are expected to appear physically before the bench to explain their compliance status.
