Subhechcha Ganguly 
The Supreme Court will pronounce its judgment on Friday on pleas challenging its August 8 order that directed civic bodies in Delhi and adjoining districts — Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, and Faridabad — to capture all stray dogs and keep them in shelters.
A three-judge bench led by Justice Vikram Nath, and comprising Justices Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria, will decide whether the order should be suspended, modified, or upheld in its entirety.
The August 8 order, passed by Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan, had instructed civic authorities to round up stray dogs within eight weeks and house them in shelters with at least 5,000-animal capacity. While it included welfare safeguards, the sweeping measures triggered strong objections from animal rights groups, who warned of statutory violations and cruelty.
Amid mounting criticism, Chief Justice of India Bhushan R Gavai reassigned the matter from the Pardiwala bench to the Nath-led larger bench, which heard arguments on August 14 and reserved its verdict. During the hearing, the bench pulled up Delhi authorities for failing to enforce existing rules under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Animal Birth Control Rules, remarking that both human safety and animal welfare were being neglected.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Delhi government, argued for urgent intervention citing “shocking” cases of child mutilation and fatal dog-bite injuries. He urged the court to ensure stray dogs are separated, sterilised, and treated humanely while safeguarding public health.
The verdict will clarify whether the contentious August 8 directive stands, is altered, or suspended entirely.
