New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday reiterated that stray dogs cannot be indiscriminately killed in Kerala and euthanasia will be permitted only in exceptional cases.
Addressing the counsel representing the animal activists, the bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and R. Banumathi said, “A person can’t be allowed to die due to dog bites. But at the same time, we can’t say destroy all stray dogs.”
The Bench was responding to the concern expressed by animal rights activists that despite the top court’s injunction, vigilante squads continue to kill stray dogs indiscriminately in the state. They also said that the alleged kingpin Jose Maveli posed for interviews with various national newspapers and also BBC.
The activists presented newspaper clippings of the interviews given by Maveli as evidence where he justified the killings but also boasted that he had so far killed 2000 stray dogs over a year, despite the apex court passing a restraining directive on November 17 last year.
Replying to the allegations, the court stated appropriate orders will be passed when he faces the stand as he has already been summoned personally by the court on March 1,
However, Sabu Stephen, a petitioner in the case, argued saying tough measures were needed to curb the rampant case of stray dog bites. He also alleged that animal rights activists and the Animal Welfare Board of India were conniving to promote the sale of anti-rabies vaccine for commercial gains.
He claimed that during the past one decade the country has spent nearly Rs 2.80 lakh crore money on anti-rabies vaccine.
He also said that every year in Kerala about 3 lakh case of stray dog bites are reported. His argument was supported by counsel V Biju appearing for one Jose Sebastian, whose wife was mauled to death by stray dogs last year.
Justice Misra observed that only in exceptional cases stray dogs can be culled by way of euthanasia and other means. “But culling does not mean indiscriminate killing,” Justice Misra said, adjourning the case till March 1.
