Stray dogs case: SC warns of heavy penalties on states for every dog bite death
The court had clarified earlier that it was not directing the removal of all street dogs, but was only stressing the need for proper enforcement of existing rules.
PTC News Desk: The Supreme Court on Tuesday warned the states of heavy penalties over every dog bite and subsequent death related to them and rapped the authorities for failing to implement the ABC rules.
"We are going to take the Union government and state governments to task. The issue has been ongoing forever. You yourself have mentioned that parliament has been looking into it since the 1950s. It is because of the Union and state governments that the problem has multiplied 1000 times. Complete failure on the part of the Union and state governments. For every man, woman and child who has lost their lives to a dog bite, we will impose heavy compensation on the government responsible," the bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria said.
The bench also rapped dog feeders, asking them to take the strays to their homes. "And also liability to dog feeders. You take them to your house, keep them. Why should they be allowed to roam around, biting, chasing? The effect of a dog bite is lifelong," it said.
The hearing on the contentious issue resumed this week after the Supreme Court held detailed discussions on it three times last week. The court had clarified earlier that it was not directing the removal of all street dogs, but was only stressing the need for proper enforcement of existing rules. During today’s proceedings, the bench repeated this message, urging lawyers on both sides to allow the “implementation of the statutory provisions” without further obstruction.
"Our request to all the lawyers is to allow us to take to task the union, the state authorities and other bodies to put what happened in 1957 into effect. Allow us to pass an order. We need to spend half a day with the States and Union. To see whether they have a plan of action or not. The problem has multiples a thousand times. We just want implementation of statutory provision. Allow us to do that. Allow us to work. Allow us to proceed further. The same things are coming again and again. This has become a public platform rather than a court proceeding," the Supreme Court said.
The apex court also slammed the 'so-called dog lovers with reference to Gujarat High Court's lawyer being bitten by a dog.
"When a lawyer was bitten in Gujarat, and when the municipal corporation people went to capture the dogs, they were thrashed. By lawyers! By these so-called dog lovers," he said.