Supreme Court orders Vigilante groups in Kerala to stop killing stray dogs

Giving three weeks to the state to file its response, a bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Uday Umesh Lalit said: “Needless to say, it will be an obligation of the state of Kerala to see that the orders passed by this court are followed scrupulously and there is no public demonstration in the manner in which the photographs depict.”

The court said Kerala government’s response would be supported by an affidavit by the state Chief Secretary.

The court had, on earlier occasions, said that authorities would adhere to the law in addressing the issue of street dogs.

The court order came as it was shown some photographs with caption ‘Kerala politicians beat street dogs to death, hang them on a pole and take out a parade’.

Youth activists said to be aligned with Kerala Congress (Mani) of former state minister K.M. Mani killed around 10 canines, trussed a few and and hung them from a pole and took out a march in Kottayam on September 26.

Police later said a case had been registered against 15 activists of the Youth Front (Mani), an offshoot of Kerala Congress (M).

The protesters displayed the killed dogs in front of the head post office in Kottayam.

In the wake of increasing stray dog menace in the state, office bearers of Old Students Welfare Association of Pala-based St Thomas College said the “gift” would be given to the heads of panchayats and municipalities across the state where most stray dogs are killed.

The outfit had hit headlines recently for providing air guns at subsidised rates to deal with violent dogs.

Earlier, cash incentives were also offered by a state- based industrialist for culling dogs.

The stray dog issue in the state came into limelight again after the gruesome killing of 90-year-old Raghavan who was mauled to death by a pack of street dogs at Varkala on October 26.