DogExpress
The apex court has issued a notice to Karnataka administration on a contempt petition moved by an animal rights activist related to killing of 350 stray dogs by the Sakaleshapura Municipal Corporation in Karnataka.
The notice is for violating direct order from SC, passed on November 2015 that expressly directed all civic bodies to adhere to Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and ABC programme rules regarding catching, sterilizing and returning the dogs to their location.
From the bench of Justice NV Ramana and Justice Mohan M Shantanagoudar, the notice has been issued Friday, 16 November 2018 to Wilson V T, the Chief Officer of the Municipal Council, along with V George Robert, the contractor who is allegedly responsible for catching the dogs, killing and burying them.
Neveena Kamath, the animal activist who filed the petition through advocate Prashant Bhushan and argued by advocate Siddhartha K Garg, accused Wilson and Robert for not obeying apex courts order passed on November 18, 2015 regarding the case titled “Animal Welfare Board of India vs People for the Elimination of Stray Dogs & Ors.” The SC order directed that all local authorities and panchayats are to strictly follow the protocols based on PCA Act, 1960 and the (ABC) Rules, 2001. The order clearly stated that “subterfuge or innovative methods” to circumvent the court order will not be tolerated.
The petition shed some light on how Wilson invited tenders to catch dogs and relocate them within his municipality. He accepted the tender submitted by George Robert and assigned task to catch and relocate stray dogs out of the municipality. She called it an “illegal and contumacious project.”
There is also an FIR registered by another activist against George Robert for killing and burying 350 dogs at Sakleshpura Cemetery Ground. The petition also highlighted a newspaper report wherein the FIR was quoted about the mass burial of dogs.
Advocate Siddharth K Garg argued that as per PCA act, 1960 and the ABC rules, 2001, clearly states that any dog caught from a location for sterilization purpose should be relocated back to the same place. The Karnataka civic body has not followed the protocols and should be held in contempt for violation of apex court order.
You can read the petition by Neveena Kamath here.
in Chandigarh, India. 
