Heart-Wrenching: Says Solicitor General About Viral Video Of Child Victim Of Dog Attack, Lawyers Request Apex Court To Take Suo Moto Notice Of Rising Dog Attacks Across Country

The Supreme Court today was apprised of the rising number of incidents related to attacks on humans by dogs in different parts of the country.  During a regular hearing, the Chief Justice noticed an Advocate with an injured hand, which prompted a discussion about the issue. The Court was informed of a viral video of a 14-year-old boy who had been bitten by a dog over a month ago in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, along with his helpless father. The boy in the video had succumbed to rabies pursuant to the dog bite.

The Bench of Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice PS Narasimha and Justice Manoj Misra expressed their concern after seeing Advocate Kunal Chatterjee with bandages on his hands, and upon enquiry by the Court, he told the Court that that five stray dogs attacked him during his morning walk.

The Chief Justice then asked if the Advocate had received proper medical care, and offered to arrange immediate assistance through the court registry.

During the discussion, Senior Advocate Vijay Hansaria who was appearing in a different matter, urged the Court to take suo motu cognizance of the issue, emphasizing that various High Courts were passing orders on the issue, necessitating intervention of the Supreme Court.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta who was present in the Court echoed the concern and mentioned about the viral video from Uttar Pradesh. Tushar Mehta told the Court that the child in the video was diagnosed by doctors with rabies, with no possibility of a cure. He further added that it was heart-wrenching to see the child's father helplessly watching his son's agonizing demise.

Chief Justice Chandrachud then shared a personal anecdote about his law clerk, who was attacked by dogs just two years ago while parking his car and closing his gate.  

Though the Supreme Court expressed concern about dog menace while listening to what the lawyers told the Court, it did not take suo motu cognizance as requested by the lawyers. The 14-year-old boy in the viral video passed away on September 4, a month after he suffered a dog bite from a neighbour's canine in Ghaziabad. The family members of the boy alleged that the dog that bit had not received proper vaccination.