The Supreme Court of India expressed astonishment on Tuesday at the unusually high number of legal applications being filed in an ongoing case concerning the management of stray dogs, remarking that such a volume is uncommon even in litigation involving human beings.
Bench Questions Unprecedented Number of Applications
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta made the pointed observation when lawyers mentioned the matter before the court. The remark, "So many applications normally don't even come in cases of humans," was made by Justice Mehta during the session. This came in response to a lawyer stating they had filed an interlocutory application in the case.
The court confirmed that the stray dogs matter is scheduled for a detailed hearing on Wednesday. When another lawyer mentioned a transfer petition related to the case, the bench indicated that numerous pleas would be addressed collectively during the upcoming session.
Key Hearing Before Special Bench on Wednesday
A special three-judge bench, which includes Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N V Anjaria, is set to further hear the matter. This hearing follows significant directions issued by the apex court last year.
Background: Court's Earlier Directives on Stray Animals
On November 7 last year, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of the issue, prompted by media reports on stray dog bites and rabies, especially among children in Delhi. The court had then issued a series of directives to tackle what it termed an "alarming rise" in dog bite incidents within institutional premises like schools, hospitals, and railway stations.
The key orders from that hearing included:
- Immediate relocation of stray dogs from such institutional areas to designated shelters after due sterilisation and vaccination.
- A mandate that dogs once picked up shall not be released back into the same location.
- Directions for authorities to ensure the removal of all cattle and other stray animals from state highways, national highways, and expressways.
The court had strongly criticised the situation, stating that the recurrence of dog bite incidents in places like sports complexes reflected not just administrative apathy but a deeper "systemic failure" to secure public spaces from preventable dangers. The case was originally initiated on July 28 last year.
All parties now await the proceedings of Wednesday's hearing, where the multitude of applications will be addressed by the special bench.
