A bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta dismissed pleas seeking exemption for the officials from personal appearance. Justice Nath observed sharply,

“When we ask Chief Secretaries to file affidavits, they remain silent. There is no respect for our order. So fine, let them come — we will deal with them.”

During the hearing, the court noted that only the Municipal Corporations of Delhi, West Bengal, and Telangana had filed their compliance affidavits. Consequently, it ordered Chief Secretaries from all other states and Union Territories, including Delhi, to be present before the bench at 10:30 am on the next hearing date, along with explanations for their non-compliance.

The court has been monitoring the issue since July 28, after taking suo motu cognisance of media reports highlighting the rising number of rabies cases and attacks by stray dogs.

In an earlier hearing on August 22, the Supreme Court had widened the scope of the case — initially limited to the Delhi-NCR region — to cover the entire country. The bench had directed that all states and Union Territories become parties to the case and ensure effective implementation of animal control measures. It had further instructed that:

• Stray dogs should be caught, sterilized, and vaccinated, and then released at the same location.

• Dogs found to be infected with rabies or showing aggressive behavior must be kept in designated shelter homes.

Despite repeated directions, several states have failed to file compliance affidavits, prompting the court to take a tough stance. The bench’s latest order underscores its intent to hold senior officials accountable for what it described as a “serious public health and safety issue.”