The Supreme Court on Friday rejected Solicitor General Tushar Mehta’s request that the chief secretaries of all states, except West Bengal and Telangana, be allowed to appear virtually before the court on November 3 in the stray dogs case.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta made it clear that the chief secretaries must be physically present. Justice Nath remarked that when the court asks for compliance affidavits, the orders are ignored, adding that the officials must therefore appear in person.
Mehta urged the bench to permit virtual appearance instead, but the court declined to consider the request.
SC orders chief secretaries to appear
On October 27, while hearing the matter, the Supreme Court had directed the chief secretaries of all states except West Bengal and Telangana to be present before it on November 3 to explain why compliance affidavits had not been filed despite the court’s directions on August 22.
Stray dogs guidelines to states
In its August 22 order, the court had expanded the scope of the stray dogs matter beyond Delhi NCR and directed that all states and Union Territories be made parties. It also instructed municipal bodies to submit compliance affidavits giving full details of dog pounds, veterinarians, dog catchers, and specially equipped vehicles and cages available for implementing the Animal Birth Control Rules.
The case is being heard suo motu by the Supreme Court after it took note of media reports regarding rising incidents of stray dog attacks leading to rabies, particularly among children in the national capital.
