On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court mandated the Delhi government to submit a detailed response regarding the measures it plans to implement for eradicating rabies among stray dogs by the year 2030.
A bench consisting of Justices Dinesh Mehta and Rajnish Kumar Gupta requested the government’s reply following a recommendation made by Gauri Maulekhi, an animal welfare advocate serving as amicus curiae in the case.
The court granted the Delhi government a period of four weeks to gather necessary instructions and respond to the proposed action plan along with the suggestions put forth by the amicus curiae. The court’s order noted, “The counsel representing GNCTD has requested and been granted four weeks to obtain further guidance and submit a response regarding the action plan and recommendations made by the amicus curiae.”
This hearing was part of a suo motu public interest litigation initiated to ensure adherence to the Supreme Court’s directives issued in May, which instructed all high courts to oversee the implementation of its orders concerning the management of stray dogs and incidents of dog attacks.
The Supreme Court had mandated that every district in India must set up at least one fully operational animal birth control center and urged states and Union territories to enhance their infrastructure based on local population density and needs.
In August, the Delhi High Court instructed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) to select one ward each in their jurisdictions to conduct pilot camps for the sterilization and vaccination of stray dogs. On Tuesday, the court directed these corporations to provide status updates concerning this initiative.
The next hearing on the matter is scheduled for October 5.
Sohini Ghosh serves as a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. After previously covering Gujarat from Ahmedabad, she has recently transitioned to the New Delhi bureau where her focus is primarily on legal matters at the Delhi High Court.
Professional Background: Sohini is a graduate of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ) and has prior experience with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express.
Current Focus: Her reporting encompasses significant legal developments at the Delhi High Court, particularly involving high-profile constitutional issues, intellectual property disputes, as well as human rights and regulatory law, especially related to technology and healthcare.
Prior Expertise: During her time in Gujarat, she gained recognition for her in-depth coverage of crime, law, policy, and social justice, notably regarding the 2002 riots, the 2008 serial bomb blast case, and the 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una. She also reported extensively on health matters, playing a key role in revealing the segregation of wards based on faith at the state’s largest government hospital in April 2020. Additionally, her work has included significant urban development and heritage coverage in Ahmedabad, a UNESCO heritage city, particularly the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram.
Recent Highlights: Her recent articles from the Delhi High Court have tackled major political, constitutional, corporate, and public interest legal cases, including those related to compensation for the victims of the 2020 northeast Delhi riots and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led discussions on technology and governance and its implications for the public, extending her coverage beyond the courtroom, such as the government’s consultations on AI-Deepfake policy.
Signature Approach: Sohini is noted for her thorough courtroom reporting and her ability to make complex legal language understandable for readers. Since her move from Gujarat to Delhi, she has broadened her focus to include regulatory, corporate, and intellectual property law while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and addressing gaps within the criminal justice system.
Follow her on Twitter: @thanda_ghosh
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