Stray dog menace discussed in Supreme Court after lawyer attacked
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New Delhi: The issue of stray dog attacks was brought to the forefront as a lawyer during a Supreme Court hearing.
He had been recently attacked by dogs and appeared with a bandaged arm. The incident prompted Chief Justice DY Chandrachud to inquire about the lawyer's injury and offer assistance.
Upon noticing the lawyer's bandaged arm, Chief Justice Chandrachud asked what happened. "I was surrounded and bitten by five dogs," said the lawyer. The Chief Justice inquired further, asking if the attack occurred near the lawyer's house, and the lawyer affirmed.
Immediately, Justice Chandrachud offered medical assistance, stating, "We can arrange to take you to the hospital right away." Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, a government lawyer, also joined the conversation, emphasising the seriousness of the issue. He referred to a recent incident in Uttar Pradesh where a child was attacked by dogs, contracted rabies, and tragically lost his life despite medical intervention.
The Chief Justice shared another personal incident, saying, "Two years ago, my law clerks were parking their car and street dogs attacked them."
Senior lawyer Vijay Hansaria urged Justice Chandrachud to address the menace of street dog attacks. In response, the Chief Justice assured them that they would look into the matter.
The discussion in the Supreme Court highlights the ongoing problem of stray dog attacks in India. Just last week, a 14-year-old in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, died of rabies a month after being bitten by a dog. In this case, the police filed cases against neighbours accused of feeding stray dogs, including one carrying rabies.
In June, the Supreme Court had issued a notice regarding a plea to euthanise extremely dangerous stray dogs. This move came after a nine-year-old girl in Kerala was attacked by a pack of strays in her neighbourhood.
