‘Stray dogs make going out unsafe’, says High Court:Calls sterilisation data a huge scam, slams civic body, orders immediate and concrete action across city

The Madhya Pradesh High Court’s Indore bench strongly reprimanded the Municipal Corporation over the growing problem of stray dogs in the city, questioning the credibility of its sterilisation claims.
During the hearing on Friday, the civic body said that more than 2.39 lakh street dogs had been sterilised and that the drive was continuing daily. Rejecting the claim, the court remarked, “Sterilisation figures and data appear to be a massive scam. When we ourselves step out for a walk, stray dogs are visible everywhere. One can only imagine the situation across the city.” Children’s safety and social development at risk Taking suo motu cognisance of the public safety issue, a division bench comprising Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla and Justice B.K. Dwivedi observed that children in residential colonies are unable to step outside their homes due to fear of stray dogs. The bench noted that this fear is adversely affecting children’s social development and warned the authorities to take immediate and effective action. The court cautioned that failure to act would result in a judicial probe into the sterilisation campaign and past data. ₹2,000 per dog sterilisation raises serious questions Justice Shukla expressed deep displeasure over the municipal corporation’s inaction, stating that spending Rs 2,000 per dog for sterilisation appeared highly questionable. “Indore is turning into a hub of stray dogs. Directions were issued on November 25, yet no visible action has been taken. No serious campaign is underway,” the court observed. ‘Reality is visible on the streets,’ says Court The municipal corporation claimed it was operating two sterilisation camps and had completed sterilisations as per records. However, the court dismissed the argument, stating that these figures may exist only on paper. “What proof do you have? The reality is visible on the streets. Walking has become difficult,” the HC bench said. In response, the corporation stated that dogs are picked up based on complaints, given rabies injections, and sterilised accordingly. Pack attacks, accidents increasing at night The court highlighted that moving on roads at night has become dangerous, with bike and scooter riders facing accidents due to stray dogs. It also noted incidents of pack attacks, adding to public fear. Assuring the court, the municipal corporation said it would intensify the drive with greater speed and strictness. Next hearing on January 12 The High Court has directed the municipal corporation to remove stray dogs from major locations before the next hearing, scheduled for January 12. Senior Advocate Piyush Mathur has been appointed as amicus curiae (court-appointed legal aide) in the case, while Advocate Manish Yadav is representing the interveners.