No respect for court’s order; chief secretaries to appear in person, says SC in stray dogs case     

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to accept the request of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that chief secretaries of states, except West Bengal and Telangana, be allowed to appear virtually before the court on November 3 in the stray dogs case.

Mehta mentioned the matter before a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, which made it clear that the chief secretaries will have to appear in person before the court on November 3.

"When we require them to come and file compliance affidavit, they are just sleeping over it. No respect for the order of the court. Then all right, let them come," Justice Nath said.

Mehta urged the bench that instead of appearing in person, the chief secretaries be allowed to appear before the court virtually.

While hearing the stray dogs matter on October 27, the top court had directed the chief secretaries of all the states, except West Bengal and Telangana, to remain present before it on November 3 to explain why compliance affidavits were not filed despite the court's August 22 order.

On August 22, the apex court expanded the scope of the stray dogs case beyond the confines of Delhi-National Capital Region, and directed that all states and UTs be made parties in the matter.

It had directed the municipal authorities to file an affidavit of compliance with complete statistics of resources like dog pounds, veterinarians, dog-catching personnel, and specially-modified vehicles and cages available as on date for the purpose of compliance of the Animal Birth Control Rules.

The bench had also impleaded the states and UTs in the matter while observing that application of ABC Rules was uniform all over India.

The apex court is hearing a suo motu case which was initiated on July 28 over a media report on stray dog bites leading to rabies, particularly among children, in the national capital.