Kolkata, Aug 7 The Calcutta High Court on Friday directed the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to file an affidavit detailing steps taken to comply with the Supreme Court's orders allowing euthanasia of rabid, incurably ill, dangerous and aggressive dogs to address threats to human lives.
A division bench headed by Justice Arijit Banerjee, which is monitoring compliance with the apex court's directions, directed the KMC to submit the affidavit by August 31.
The court also directed the state government to file its affidavit in the matter by August 10.
The government of India filed an affidavit before the court when the division bench, which also comprised Justice Apurba Sinha Ray, took up the matter.
The court directed that the matter would be taken up for hearing on August 31, while granting liberty to the Union of India and the State to file further affidavits, if necessary, by that date.
The High Court had registered a suo motu case to monitor effective implementation of the Supreme Court's directions.
In a first-of-its-kind order, the top court ruled on May 19 that when weighing the safety and lives of human beings against the interests and welfare of sentient beings, the constitutional balance must necessarily and unequivocally tilt in favour of the preservation and protection of human life.
The apex court had directed states and Union territories to augment infrastructure to deal with stray dogs and other animals, asking all the high courts to register a suo motu case to ensure compliance of its August 22, 2025, and November 7, 2025 directions.
The Supreme Court, which issued a slew of directions to the states and Union territories, said any failure, hesitation or administrative apathy in adopting measures to secure citizens would strike at the very core of the constitutional guarantee under Article 21 and would render the fundamental rights guaranteed to citizens illusory, hollow and incapable of meaningful enforcement in the lived realities of society.
"Compassion for animal life, howsoever important, cannot be interpreted in a manner that compels citizens to endure recurring threats to their own lives, safety and bodily integrity," the top court had ruled.
The Supreme Court had on May 19 allowed euthanasia of rabid, incurably ill, dangerous and aggressive dogs to curb threat to human lives, saying the right to live with dignity encompasses the right to move freely without the threat of harm from canines.
