Stray Dogs Case: Supreme Court Refers Matter To Three-Judge Bench Amid Row, Hearing On Thursday

The stray dog case has now been referred to a three-judge bench by the Supreme Court and will be heard on Thursday.

The move comes amid a huge uproar over the verdict by the previous two-judge bench and hours after Chief Justice of India BR Gavai assured a relook into the case on moving all stray dogs in the National Capital Region to shelter homes.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria will hear the matter on Thursday.

"As a court, our heart pains equally for everyone. We condemn those who, beneath the cloak of "love and care" for the voiceless, pursue the warmth of self-congratulation," the Supreme Court said in its order.

"In light of the concerns of the interveners, we urge all to adopt and give dogs a shelter in their homes", the order added.

On Aug. 11, the top court observed instances of dog bites had given rise to an "extremely grim" situation and ordered the permanent relocation of all strays in the National Capital Region "at the earliest".

Saying dog shelters will have to be augmented over time, the apex court has directed Delhi authorities to start with creating shelters of around 5,000 canines within six to eight weeks.