Conversation began when CJI noticed a lawyer’s bandaged arm & learnt he was attacked by street dogs
Photo: iStock_ Cases of dogs attacking people in India’s streets, sometimes fatally, have made news headlines several times this year, and the contentious topic was also discussed in the Supreme Court of India on September 11, 2023.
Judges present urged the Chief Justice of India to take suo-motu action to find a solution for the “menace”.
The conversation among the counsels of the apex court began when the Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, noticed a lawyer’s bandaged arm. The counsel, Kunal Chatterjee, told him he was attacked by a pack of five street dogs in the neighbourhood.
Chandrachud, according to legal news portal LiveLaw, also offered to help the advocate get medical attention.
Chatterjee’s account sparked the discussion as the other lawyers and judges joined in with their own stories. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta shared the story of a man in Uttar Pradesh who lost his son to rabies caused by a dog bite. Judge PS Narasimha called the dog attacks a “serious menace”.
The CJI also mentioned that his law clerk was attacked by dogs while parking a car. When the judges urged him to look into the matter, he said, “We will see what can be done”, according to news reports.
The apex court is already hearing a case seeking directions to check dog attacks on children in Kerala.
Meanwhile, a group of animal rights activists have alleged that strays that were removed from Delhi streets ahead of the G20 Summit are being released without a proper plan. These dogs, they claimed, were not tagged. Thus, they are being introduced into neighbourhoods they didn’t belong to, increasing the chances of territorial fights among the canines and attacks on people.
A horrifying, graphic video of a 4-year-old child being mauled to death by a pack of street dogs in Hyderabad in February this year, probably, brought this issue into public discourse. More such incidents have been reported since then, dividing Indians into warring camps – dog lovers and those who are scared of them.
A section of the experts are of the view that even if dog attacks have increased, it is human beings who are at fault. Our stray policies have not been considerate, scientific or efficient, they contend. Dog owners abandoning their pets have also not helped, they say.
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