Supreme Court Orders Vigilante Groups In Kerala To Stop Killing Stray Dogs

Recently, the Supreme Court ordered vigilante groups in Kerala to stop killing stray dogs. The apex court also restrained the vigilantes from publicly broadcasting war against stray dogs and distributing air guns to the people to kill the stray dogs.

A bench of Justices, Dipak Misra said,” No impression should be created that human life has lesser value than that of a dog. It, however, allowed the government to cull dogs under stipulated rules.”

Steps taken before by Kerala people to kill stray dogs

A Supreme Court-appointed panel said in July, “Hundreds of people are bitten by stray dogs across the country every year but Kerala is said to be the worst affected with an estimated 2.5-lakh feral canine dog population. At least one lakh people were bitten by stray dogs in the state in 2015-16. In the past four months alone, 700 people have been injured in canine attacks besides the death of four people in the state.”

Jose Maveli, the bench summoned anti-dog crusader, who has publicly killed  stray dogs despite the top court’s restrain. Maveli has been arrested seven times but let off after payment of Rs 50 fine  every time. He will appear before the SC on March 1, the next hearing in the case.

The alumni association of a prominent college in Kerala has offered to gift gold coins to civic authorities who killed the maximum number of stray dogs till December 10. Earlier, cash incentives were also offered by a state- based industrialist for culling dogs.

Stop killing stray dogs: SC ordered

“We restrain such organisations to impart training to the children or to distribute subsidized airguns for people to kill stray dogs or to publicly propagate that there is war against the stray dogs or strangulate the stray dogs or for that matter offer prizes or incentives to those who kill the stray dogs,” the bench ordered.

Kerala’s counsel told the bench that citizens cannot form such associations and take the law into their hands.

Source: Hindustan Times

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