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New Delhi: The Supreme Court will pronounce on Friday its order on pleas seeking a stay of the August 11 directions passed by a two-judge bench directing the removal of all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR to shelter homes.

A three-judge bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta, and Justice N.V. Anjaria heard the matter and reserved its order on August 14.

The case, originally taken up suo motu by a bench of Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice R. Mahadevan after a news report highlighted increasing dog-bite incidents in the capital, had directed immediate relocation of stray dogs to shelters.

In a dramatic turn, the matter was shifted to the three-judge bench on August 13 after lawyers mentioned before the Chief Justice of India that the August 11 directions conflicted with earlier orders of other benches.

The August 11 order, passed on the suggestions of Senior Advocate and amicus curiae Gaurav Agarwal, mandated the State of NCT Delhi, MCD, and NDMC to establish dog shelters within eight weeks, initially accommodating 5,000 dogs, with provisions for sterilisation, immunisation, and CCTV monitoring to ensure no dogs were released back onto the streets.

It further directed authorities in Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram to keep detailed daily records of captured dogs, maintain a helpline for dog-bite complaints, and ensure captured dogs were never released again.

The bench had stressed that the exercise was being undertaken in the larger public interest to protect infants and children from rabies, warning that resistance from individuals or organisations to the capture of strays would invite contempt proceedings.

It also directed authorities to ensure immediate medical treatment for dog-bite victims and to publish details on vaccine availability.

The Supreme Court’s three-judge bench will now decide whether to stay these directions pending further hearing of the suo-motu case.

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