Telangana HC seeks details on steps taken to control strays

HYDERABAD: Issuing notices to the various departments of the State government to respond by March 16, a bench of the Telangana High Court, comprising Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N Tukaramji, on Thursday instructed standing counsel for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and for the State to inform the court of the steps taken to shelters for stray dogs.

Taking up the suo moto PIL on stray dogs, the bench issued notices to the Chief Secretary, the Principal Secretary of the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department, the GHMC deputy commissioner for Amberpet division, the Hyderabad district Collector and the member-secretary of the Telangana State Legal Services Authority (TSLSA).

In order to ensure that such horrific and gruesome incidents are not repeated, Chief Justice Bhuyan sought information on the shelter for stray dogs. “If these steps have not yet been taken, is there any plan to implement these measures,” he asked.“These stray dogs cannot walk on roadways like this... The dead youngster was attacked by stray dogs; this shouldn’t have happened, it was seen,” Chief Justice Bhuyan said.

When standing counsels for the State and GHMC told the court that the three dogs that attacked the four-year-old boy had been sterilised and later released, Chief Justice Bhuyan expressed concern saying that he hadn’t expected counsel to respond in this way. “Has this occurrence, when a four-year-old youngster was attacked by three stray dogs, stirred your conscience,” he asked.

Entitled to compensation

Chief Justice Bhuyan said the parents of the deceased boy were entitled to compensation. He also noted that the court would make a decision about payment of compensation on the next day of hearing. Standing counsel for the TSLSA provided a copy of an interim order that outlines the minimum and maximum compensation that may be given to the parents of the deceased. The Chief Justice ordered the standing counsel to provide a copy to all counsels.

This shouldn’t have happened: CJ Bhuyan

Asking authorities to take the requisite action to avoid such incidents, CJ Bhuyan said, “These stray dogs cannot walk on roadways like this... The dead youngster was attacked by stray dogs; this shouldn’t have happened, it was seen.”