The Supreme Court will hear the plea filed against the culling of stray dogs in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur district, following the deaths of several children in the area over the past few months on June 8.
The petition was filed by the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO), an animal protection organisations, seeking a direction to stop killing of dogs.
The FIAPO in its plea claimed that the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) report clearly stated that there is no evidence that dogs attacked the children.
The top court vacation bench headed by Justice L Nageswara Rao and M Shantanagoudar was hearing the plea.
Around 22 villages in Khairabad block of the district are affected by the dog menace.
Since November 2017, 14 kids have reportedly been killed and several others have been injured in such attacks.
The incidents have led to a formation of a committee by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
"Effective action should be taken by forming joint teams comprising officials of the police department, animal health department, Nagar Palika and Nagar panchayat. A team of experts from Lucknow and Bareilly should be called, and a probe is done in this regard," Adityanath had said.
The administration had also announced that drones and night vision binoculars would be used to track the dogs and observe their activities.
According to district administration, there are around 100 savage dogs, out of which 22 have been captured and sent to Lucknow, where their behaviour will be studied.
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