Stray dogs case: SC refuses to entertain mentioning of plea over Punjab CM's statement

The Supreme Court refused to entertain a plea alleging Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's statement that the court gave a "free hand" to kill stray dogs, directing the matter to the Punjab High Court.

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain the mentioning of a plea which alleged that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has said that the apex court has given a ''free hand'' to kill stray dogs.

''Just because a chief minister makes a statement, does that mean we have to change our order?'' a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta told the counsel, who mentioned the matter.

The counsel said after the top court's May 19 order in the stray dogs case, the Punjab chief minister had allegedly tweeted that the Supreme Court ''has given a free hand to kill stray dogs''.

''You go to the Punjab High Court,'' the bench observed, adding, ''We are not entertaining your mentioning''.

The counsel claimed that stray dogs were being killed after the top court's order.

In a significant verdict delivered on May 19, the top court 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.

In a first of its kind order, the apex court ruled that when the safety and lives of human beings are weighed 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.

While directing the states and Union territories to augment infrastructure to deal with stray dogs and other animals, the top court directed all the high courts to register a suo motu case to ensure compliance of its August 22, 2025 and November 7, 2025 directions issued in the matter.