Court Orders Immediate Release of Seized Pets in Delhi Animal Center Controversy

A Delhi court ordered the Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centre to release 10 seized pets, criticizing their failure to comply with an earlier order. The court emphasized the welfare of the pets and dismissed the centre's plea for more time, insisting on a detailed status report by the next hearing.

In a significant ruling, a Delhi court on Friday refused to grant additional time to the Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centre to submit a detailed status report and ordered the immediate release of 10 pets seized during an investigation.

The court, on January 13, criticized the animal care centre for not complying with a previous judicial order to return the pets to their owner, Vishal, named in an FIR filed at the Jagat Puri police station. Additional Sessions Judge Surabhi Sharma Vats deemed the center's explanations 'totally unsatisfactory' and 'evasive.'

The court reiterated the importance of treating animals humanely and mandated the pets' release in a ruling dated January 16. Emphasizing the need for transparency, the court also instructed the center to provide a comprehensive status report detailing all the animals in custody, their condition, and placement by the next hearing.

(With inputs from agencies.)