New Delhi, Oct 28 (UNI) An application has been filed before the Supreme Court of India challenging its earlier order in the stray dogs case, which required NGOs and individuals to deposit Rs 2,00,000 and Rs 25,000, respectively, as a precondition for participation in proceedings related to stray dog issues.
The plea, filed by Jyot, a public religious trust, seeks to intervene in the ongoing matter, contending that the monetary condition imposed by the Court is arbitrary, unscientific, and violates Article 51A (h) of the Constitution, which promotes the development of a scientific temper.
The trust has urged the Court to adopt a rational, evidence-based approach to stray dog management instead of punitive restrictions.
The application argues that conditioning access to justice on payment of large sums violates principles of natural justice and creates inequitable barriers for citizens and organisations seeking to contribute to a matter of public concern.
However, the trust stated it is willing to deposit the amount, provided there is an assurance that the funds will not be used in a manner contrary to its religious beliefs, protected under Article 25(1) of the Constitution.
The trust also sought a direction to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to disclose fund utilisation details and to ensure that deposits are used only for the care and treatment of injured or sick stray dogs, not for caging healthy animals or engaging in inhumane practices.
The plea comes in the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s August 22 order, passed by a Bench led by Justice Vikram Nath, which directed that all individuals and NGOs appearing in the stray dog matter must make the specified deposits within seven days, failing which they would not be allowed to participate in further hearings.
Earlier, the Court had also partly stayed its directive ordering the relocation of stray dogs from Delhi, Ghaziabad, NOIDA, Faridabad, and Gurugram to municipal shelters.
The Bench had clarified that stray dogs should be dewormed, vaccinated, and then released back to their respective areas, citing the massive logistical challenges in housing all strays in shelters.
The Bench, which also includes Justice Sandeep Mehta and Justice N.V. Anjaria further directed that dogs exhibiting rabies or aggressive behaviour shall not be released and imposed a ban on public feeding of stray dogs, mandating the creation of designated feeding zones instead.
On August 14, while hearing submissions regarding the implementation of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, the Court had expressed displeasure at NGOs for not approaching the judiciary earlier to ensure compliance with existing laws.
“These NGOs should also be responsible… they should have approached the court earlier for compliance,” Justice Vikram Nath had observed.
A three-judge Bench led by Justice Vikram Nath was constituted earlier this year to reconsider the controversial order directing the removal of all stray dogs from the Delhi-NCR region, an order that had faced widespread public backlash.
That earlier order, passed on August 11, had directed the removal and relocation of all strays to designated shelters.
The Court, then comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan, had warned of contempt proceedings against anyone obstructing its directions. “All these animal activists and so-called lovers, will they be able to bring back the children who have fallen prey to rabies? Let’s take a practical view of the matter,” the Bench had remarked.
The top court had suo motu taken cognisance of the issue in July 2025, based on a Times of India report titled “City Hounded by Strays, Kids Pay Price,” which detailed a surge in dog bite incidents across Delhi and NCR.
Expressing deep concern, the Court had noted that nearly 20,000 dog bite cases are reported daily nationwide, with over 2,000 in Delhi alone.
Among the reported cases were those of six-year-old Chavi Sharma, who suffered severe injuries from multiple dog bites, and four-year-old Abhishek Rai, attacked by a pack of strays in Delhi’s Alipur area.
Taking note of these incidents, the Supreme Court had issued notices to the Government of NCT of Delhi and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, appointing Advocate Gaurav Agarwal as Amicus Curiae to assist the Court in addressing the escalating public safety and animal welfare crisis.
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