Delhi
High Court has asked the authorities to strictly comply with all provisions
relating to the capture and the release of street dogs for special events such
as Independence Day and Republic Day.
The
order released on Wednesday came on a public interest litigation by Anita
Santiago, who sought directions to release the dogs captured by the civic
authorities for such events and to ensure their welfare according to the Animal
Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023.
The
petitioner highlighted the ABC Rules mandate that the dogs should be identified
with numbered collars immediately upon capture to maintain proper records that
would subsequently facilitate their release in the same locality from where
they were captured.
The
Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) counsel said it is following the ABC Rules
and, as far as the G20 Summit was concerned, the process to release the
captured strays has already been initiated.
The
counsel for Animal Welfare Board of India affirmed the MCD's submission.
In
view of the stand taken by the authorities, the court said no further orders
were required on the petition.
"In
light of the aforenoted submissions, the respondent authorities are directed to
ensure strict compliance with all the provisions prescribed under the ABC Rules
relating to the capture and release of street dogs," said a bench of Chief
Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula in an order dated
September 11.
In
her petition, Santiago raised concern with respect to allegations of the
inhumane way the MCD was "removing street dogs" for the G20 Summit in
"blatant violation" of the ABC Rules.
"Any
event which makes the country proud and where the nation needs to project
itself to the world calls for few steps of discretion for efficient
organisation of such events, however, the same has to be within the bounds of
law and not beyond it," she said in her plea.
"Actions
of respondent no 1 (MCD) are impugned in this petition whereby the respondent
no 1 despite withdrawal of its circulars for unlawful capture of dogs has
permitted the use of government machinery to capture dogs with the assistance
of private unauthorised persons," the petition alleged.