NEW DELHI: Complying with earlier directions, the Chief Secretaries of States and Union Territories appeared before the SC and tendered an 'unconditional apology' for not filing a compliance affidavit on the menace of stray dog bites.
Taking into record the appearance of the Chief Secretaries, a three-judge special bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Vikram Nath, comprising Justice Sandeep Mehta and Justice N V Anjaria, said it will pass appropriate directions on November 7 in the case.
"Apart from recording the appearance and affidavits, we will also be issuing a few directions with respect to institutional menace -- the employees supporting and feeding the dogs in government institutions, public sector institutions and other institutions. We will definitely be issuing directions," said the top court.
During the course of a brief hearing, the top court impleaded the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) as a respondent in the case. It also clarified that Senior Advocate Guarav Agarwal will continue as the amicus curiae to assist in the matter.
In its last hearing on October 31, the SC had refused to allow the request of Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta seeking personal exemption of physical appearance of Chief Secretaries of States and Union Territories in the case, remarking "let them come."
During the hearing on Friday, the bench had said that there was no respect for the order of the court, as it made it clear that the chief secretaries will have to appear physically before the court on November 3 in the stray dogs menace case.
The top court had even rejected the plea of SG Mehta, who requested a direction from the court for the Chief Secretaries to appear through the video conferencing mode in the case. "Sorry, they have to come physically to the court," the court added.
The court had also pointed out that, "we asked them (State Chief Secretaries) why no compliance affidavit had been filed, but they were seeking personal exemption."
"Your officers don't read newspapers? They don't read social media? Do they want a formal notice to be issued to them?" the bench, led by Justice Nath, had said.
Bihar and many other states allegedly failed to file the compliance affidavit in the case, following which, the top court decided to direct Chief Secretaries for their personal presence on November 3. It said all chief secretaries, except those of Telangana and West Bengal, should be present before it on November 3. Otherwise, "we will hold the court in the auditorium," it had said.
The court had, on August 22, reversed its earlier order directing the authorities to move all stray dogs to shelters and said that they can be released to the same area from where they were captured after proper sterilisation and immunisation, exempting dogs infected with rabies or exhibiting aggressive behaviour.
It also barred the feeding of the dogs in public places, too.
The August 22 order expanded the scope of the stray dogs case beyond the Delhi NCR and directed that all states and Union Territories be made parties in the matter, and instructed them to file a compliance affidavit.
