The Supreme Court on Thursday deferred hearing objections to rules framed by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on the handling of stray dogs, even as it responded sharply to claims of “inhuman” treatment and said it would play a video at the next hearing to question what constitutes humanity.
The matter came up before a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta during proceedings in the ongoing stray dogs case. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioner, told the court that a three-judge special bench scheduled to hear the issue on Thursday had been cancelled and that the case would now be taken up on January 7.
Raising concerns over the interim period, Sibal said the MCD had framed rules that were “completely contrary” to statutory provisions and warned that authorities intended to implement them as early as December. He argued that dogs were being removed without adequate shelter facilities in place, calling the situation “very, very inhuman.”
The bench, however, declined to advance the hearing. “It is alright, Mr Sibal. Let them do it, we will consider,” Justice Nath said when Sibal pressed for urgent intervention. Justice Mehta added that on the next date, the court would play a video and ask, “what is humanity,” prompting Sibal to respond that his side would also show footage depicting ground realities.
The court maintained that the issue would be examined on January 7.
The case forms part of a larger suo motu proceeding initiated by the apex court on July 28 after media reports highlighted a spate of stray dog bites in Delhi, including cases leading to rabies among children. On November 7, taking note of what it described as an “alarming rise” in dog bite incidents, particularly in institutional areas such as educational institutions, hospitals, railway stations and sports complexes, the Supreme Court issued a series of directions to authorities.
These included the immediate relocation of stray dogs to designated shelters after due sterilisation and vaccination, and a clear instruction that dogs picked up should not be released back at the same locations. The court also ordered the removal of cattle and other stray animals from state highways, national highways and expressways.
The three-judge special bench had warned that repeated dog bite incidents in institutional spaces pointed to administrative apathy and a “systemic failure” to secure such premises from preventable hazards.
With the challenge to the MCD’s rules now pushed to January, the court is set to revisit the balance between public safety, statutory compliance and animal welfare when the matter comes up next month.
