Punjab and Haryana HC transfers stray dog cases to SC for unified hearing

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed that contempt petitions concerning the implementation of its 2015 order on stray dog bite cases be sent to the Supreme Court, in view of recent directions issued by the apex court.

Justice Vikas Bahl observed that the Supreme Court, on August 22, had ordered the impleadment of all States, Union Territories, and local bodies to ensure compliance with the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules and further directed that all similar matters pending before the High Courts be transferred for consolidated consideration.

Acting on the joint request of counsel representing multiple municipal bodies and state governments of Punjab, Haryana and UT Chandigarh, the High Court Registry was asked to forward the case files to the Supreme Court. The contempt petitions were filed through counsel Saurabh Arora and Kunal Malwani. Former Member of Parliament, animal rights activist, and environmentalist Maneka Gandhi – a respondent in the case – was represented by advocate Kunal Dawar, while intervenor and animal activist Sunayana Sibal was being represented by counsel Viren Sibal. The High Court, on April 28, 2015, had directed the Chandigarh Administration and Municipal Corporation to ensure effective implementation of a 2013 “Comprehensive Scheme for Management of Stray Dogs” framed on its earlier orders.

The matter was initially brought to the High Court’s notice by Gurmukh Singh. In his petition against the Union Territory of Chandigarh, he had underscored the menace of street dogs in the city, particularly the Rose Garden. The petitioner alleged that he was chased by street dogs while on a morning walk and that several cases of dog bites had been reported in the area.

The dog sterilisation programme launched by Chandigarh, however, came under a cloud with the subsequent filing of petitions alleging contempt of court for wilful disobedience of directions issued in the April 2015 order. The Bench made it clear – while earlier hearing the matter – that the stray dog population had registered manifold increase despite the programme. Enlarging the scope of the matter, the High Court also called for details from local bodies across Punjab and Haryana regarding the number of dog bites reported in the districts and action taken for sterilisation and vaccination of stray dogs.

The Court further called for affidavits elaborating upon the serious complaints received from the general public about stray dogs’ nuisance in particular areas of Chandigarh. “This order will apply mutatis mutandis to the States of Punjab and Haryana where at each district level, a committee will be constituted and the affidavit of all the Municipal Corporations/Committees will be filed about the number of dog bites reported in their respective districts and action taken for sterilisation and vaccination of stray dogs,” the Bench had added.