The Supreme Court will pronounce its judgment today in the suo motu case taken on the stray dog issue.A bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta and Justice NV Anjaria had heard the matter. In November last year, the bench had passed a slew of directions to the authorities to ensure the removal of stray dogs from public places such as schools, hospitals, bus stands,...
The Supreme Court will pronounce its judgment today in the suo motu case taken on the stray dog issue.
A bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta and Justice NV Anjaria had heard the matter. In November last year, the bench had passed a slew of directions to the authorities to ensure the removal of stray dogs from public places such as schools, hospitals, bus stands, railway stations, and sports complexes. The Court directed that the dogs must be shifted to shelters, and must not be released back to the same place from where they were picked.
The bench had also issued directions banning the feeding of dogs in streets, except in designated feeding spots.
Later, several applications were filed by dog lovers and animal rights groups to recall these directions. After elaborately hearing these applications, the bench reserved judgment on January 29.
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Supreme Court dismisses applications seeking modifications of the directions that stray dogs picked up from public places like hospitals, bus stands, schools etc, must not be released to the same place after vaccination/sterilisation.
Court: the jurisdictional courts shall be empowered to take appropriate action including contempt proceedings against erring officers responsible for non compliance, inaction or willful disregard of this court's direction.
Court: while ensuring full compliance with the directions issued by this court the concerned bench of the high courts shall be at liberty to expand or tailor the scope of such directions as may be necessary to address local conditions and exigencies without dilututing the tenor and intent of the directions issued by this court
Court: no proceeding except when a prima facie case of malafide and gross abuse of authority is made out.
Court: for ongoing compliance and monitoring high courts are directed to register suo Motu writ petitions for compliance with the directions issued by the supreme court as a continuing mandamus for monitoring compliance.
Court:
No FIR or criminal proceeding shall be ordinary initiated against the officers in respect of bonafide action undertaken for the purpose of implementing directions of this court
Court
10. concerned officers entrusted with implementation of the directions of this court will be entitled to due protection for acts performed by them in good faith and in discharge of the official duties and compliances carried out for this and other court orders
Court (contd.) 9. Authorities may I accordance with animal birth control rules and other applicable statutory protocols take legally permissible measures including euthanasia in cases involving incurably ill, rabid or demonstratively dangerous/aggressive dogs to effectively cure the thread posed to human life and safety.
Court:
9. NHAI shall establish effective monitoring and coordination Framework continuous oversight and prompt response in such matters in areas where population of street dog has assumed alarming proportions and where incidence of dog bites and aggressive attacks have become frequent and pose a continuing threat to public safety subject to assessment by qualified veterinary experts and strictly in accordance with provisions of prevention of cruelty to animals act
Court:
7. States and duties shall ensure adequate availability of anti rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin in all government medical facilities and put in place effective public Health response mechanism to deal with dog bite cases.
8. NHAI in coordination with concerned states and UTs to formulate and implement a comprehensive and time bought mechanism for addressing the presence of straid of the another animals on the national highways and expressway including deployment of specialised transport vehicles for safe handling and relocation of street cattle and another animals and the creation or earmarking of appropriate holding and shelter facilities and entering into appropriate arrangements with animal welfare organisations for the safe handling and relocation
Court:
6. Comprehensive capacity building measures to be undertaken including training of personnel, augmenting of veterinary services, strengthening of shelter facilities vaccination drive in coordination with the relevant departments.