The Supreme Court expressed concern over the unusually high number of interlocutory applications filed in the stray dogs case, noting such volume is rare even in human-related matters. The apex court said all connected pleas will be heard together by a special Bench on Wednesday.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday expressed concern over the unusually large number of interlocutory applications being filed in the stray dogs case, observing that such a volume of applications is rarely seen even in matters involving human issues.
A Bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta made the remark when two lawyers mentioned the stray dogs matter before the court. During the mentioning, one of the lawyers informed the Bench that an interlocutory application had been filed in the case.
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Reacting to this, Justice Mehta remarked,
“So many applications normally don’t even come in cases of humans.”
The Bench informed the lawyers that the stray dogs matter is already listed for hearing before the apex court on Wednesday.
When another lawyer mentioned a transfer petition related to the same matter, the court clarified that several pleas connected with the issue would be taken up together on Wednesday and that the Bench would hear all the lawyers.
The court also noted that a three-judge special Bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N V Anjaria is scheduled to hear the matter on Wednesday.
The observations come in the backdrop of earlier directions issued by the Supreme Court in the suo motu proceedings on the stray dog issue.
Taking note of the “alarming rise” in dog bite incidents in institutional areas such as educational institutions, hospitals and railway stations, the apex court on November 7 last year had directed the immediate relocation of stray dogs to designated shelters after proper sterilisation and vaccination.
The court had also clearly stated that the stray dogs picked up should not be released back into the same areas from where they were removed.
In addition, it directed authorities to ensure the removal of all cattle and other stray animals from state highways, national highways and expressways.
The Bench had earlier observed that the recurrence of dog bite incidents within institutional areas, including sports complexes, reflected not just administrative negligence but also a “systemic failure” to protect such premises from preventable dangers.
The top court has passed several directions in the suo motu case related to the stray dog issue. The proceedings were initiated on July 28 last year after a media report highlighted incidents of stray dog bites leading to rabies, especially among children, in the national capital.
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