NEW DELHI: Former Lok Sabha member and actor Divya Spandana, also known as Ramya, took to Instagram in response to a Supreme Court observation on street dogs and public safety. In her story, Spandana said, “Can’t read a man’s mind too, don’t know when he will rape, so all men should be put in jail?” The Supreme Court on Wednesday flagged non-compliance by civic bodies over stray animals, noting the dangers they pose on roads.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N V Anjaria said, “The roads should be clear of dogs and stray animals. It is not only the dog bites but also the roaming of stray animals on roads that are proving dangerous and causing accidents. No one knows which dog is in what mood in the morning. Civic bodies have to implement the rules, modules and directions strictly.” Justice Mehta highlighted recent incidents involving judges in Rajasthan, noting that one is still suffering from spinal injuries. “It’s a serious issue,” he said. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing petitioners seeking modification of the court’s November 7 order, proposed adopting a scientific approach known as CSVR (Capture, Sterilise, Vaccinate, Release) to manage stray dog populations. He said: “Prevention is always better than cure.” Justice Nath emphasised that the court’s directive was focused on clearing institutional areas of stray dogs without interfering with existing rules. The bench warned that non-compliant states would face strict action. Senior advocate Gaurav Agarwal, appointed amicus curiae, said the National Highways Authority of India had identified 1,400 km of vulnerable road stretches but added, “the state governments have to take care of it.” The court also suggested fencing roads and expressways to prevent stray animals from entering. Agarwal noted that some states, including Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Punjab, had yet to file compliance affidavits, while others submitted “very disappointing” responses. Sibal stressed the importance of a humane response, saying: “First of all, this is not an adversarial issue and we are here as dog lovers. If one tiger is a man-eater, we don’t kill all tigers. We must make sure that sterilisation takes place and the population must come down. There is a process for that.” The bench, in a lighter moment, remarked, “The only thing missing is providing counselling to the dogs as well so that he doesn’t bite when released back.” Other senior advocates, including Colin Gonsalves, Anand Grover, and K K Venugopal, highlighted challenges such as inadequate shelter capacity and the risk of rabies transmission in shelters. Arguments in the case remained inconclusive and are set to continue. The Supreme Court had earlier directed that stray dogs be relocated to designated shelters after sterilisation and vaccination and that they should not be released back to the areas from which they were removed. Authorities were also instructed to remove all cattle and other stray animals from highways and expressways.
About the Author
