The Supreme Court on Friday (October 31, 2025) rejected the request to allow Chief Secretaries of all states and Union Territories except West Bengal and Telangana to appear before the court through digital medium on November 3 in the stray dog case and said that there is no respect for the court’s orders.
The Supreme Court had directed the Chief Secretaries of all states and union territories, except West Bengal and Telangana, to appear before it on November 3 to explain why compliance affidavits were not filed despite the court’s August 22 order.
The bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta expressed displeasure over non-compliance of the court’s order of August 22 and said that till October 27, none of the states and union territories, except West Bengal, Telangana and Delhi Municipal Corporation (MCD), had filed a compliance affidavit. The court had asked the states and union territories about the Animal Birth Control (ABC) rules.
Referring to the matter, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had requested the bench to allow the Chief Secretaries to appear before the court on November 3 through digital medium. Tushar Mehta said, ‘This is a case of danger from dogs. Due to our lapse the court was forced to summon the Chief Secretaries. Just have one request, can they attend through digital medium instead of coming physically?
Justice Vikram Nath said that the Chief Secretaries will have to appear physically in the court. Justice Vikram Nath said, ‘It is very unfortunate that the court here is wasting time trying to deal with problems which should have been solved by the municipal corporations and state governments years ago.’ He said that Parliament has made rules (ABC) but no action was taken.
Justice Vikram Nath said, ‘When we ask them to file a compliance affidavit, they just sit silently. No respect for court orders. Okay then, let them come. The bench clarified that the Chief Secretaries will have to appear in the court and explain why the states and union territories did not file compliance affidavits.
SG Tushar Mehta said that compliance affidavits were filed in the case. The bench said that when the case was heard on October 27, only West Bengal, Telangana and MCD had filed compliance affidavits. The court said, ‘Let them (Chief Secretaries) come.’
While hearing the stray dogs case on October 27, the Supreme Court had directed the Chief Secretaries of all the states to appear before the court on November 3 and explain why the compliance affidavit was not filed despite the court’s order of August 22.
The Supreme Court had reprimanded the states and union territories for not filing compliance affidavits in the case of stray dogs and said that such incidents are happening continuously and the country is being humiliated in foreign countries.
On August 22, the Supreme Court had extended the scope of the stray dog case beyond the borders of Delhi-National Capital Region and directed all the states and union territories to be made parties in this case. The Court had directed the Municipal Corporation authorities to file an affidavit on compliance with complete data of resources like kennels, veterinarians, dog handling personnel and specially modified vehicles and cages available for dogs till date for the purpose of compliance of Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules.
The bench had also made states and union territories parties in the case and said the application of ABC rules is uniform across India. The Supreme Court is hearing a suo motu case which was initiated on July 28 after a media report on stray dog bites, especially in children, causing rabies in the national capital.
On October 30, the Supreme Court had rejected the request of the Bihar government to exempt the Chief Secretary from appearing in the court on November 3 due to the assembly elections in the state. The bench had told the lawyer appearing for Bihar, ‘There is an Election Commission which will take care of it. Don’t worry. Let the Chief Secretary come. Assembly elections in Bihar are to be held on November 6 and 11 and counting of votes will take place on November 14.