Stray dogs SC hearing LIVE updates: Bench to begin hearing case shortly

STray dogs sublime margaret court audience unrecorded updates: The sublime Court three-judge bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N V Anjaria has started hearing the stray dogs Supreme Court case on Thursday, August 14. The hearing follows widespread protests against the top court's order directing the blanket removal of Delhi stray dogs from all NCR localities.The matter was listed a few hours after it was mentioned before Chief Justice BR Gavai in open court. “I will look into it,” the CJI said.The case will now be taken up by Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria. This comes three days after a two-judge bench ordered authorities to remove all stray dogs to shelters and fixed its next hearing for four weeks later.However, the order did not sit well with many including animal lovers in Delhi NCR, it drew immediate criticism from politicians, public figures, animal rights groups who argued that longer-term, scientific approaches such as sterilisation, vaccination and community care, are more humane and effective.On August 11, a top court bench comprising Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan had directed authorities to round up stray dogs, starting with 5,000 in six to eight weeks. It said that no captured dogs should be released back onto the streets under any circumstances.The court further recorded that “The stray dogs shall be captured, sterilized, dewormed and immunized as required by Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023,” according to the detailed order uploaded on the Supreme Court website on Wednesday.Protests, detentions in Delhi after Stray dogs judgementOn the night of the order, several dog lovers, animal rights activists and other protesters were detained near India Gate, Delhi, while demonstrating against the “remove all strays” directive.Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Varun Gandhi and Maneka Gandhi also flagged concerns. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India termed the order “impractical, illogical, and illegal.”Rahul posted on X: “Blanket removals are cruel, shortsighted and strip us of compassion.. These voiceless souls are not ‘problems’ to be erased. Shelters, sterilisation, vaccination and community care can keep streets safe — without cruelty… We can ensure public safety and animal welfare go hand in hand.”What all happened after the SC directive on Delhi NCR stray dogs: 5 key points1. Several animal lovers and activists were detained near India Gate while protesting against the order.2. PETA India termed the order “impractical, illogical, and illegal.”3. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi picked up over 100 stray dogs and converted 20 Animal Birth Control centres into shelter homes.4. The MCD identified an 85-acre plot in Ghoga Dairy, outer Delhi, for large-scale shelters and is scouting for more land.5. MCD Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh said the relocation will start with aggressive and rabies-infected dogs before expanding.