During an informal discussion in the Supreme Court, the recent case of a Ghaziabad boy’s death was also brought up.
In the context of addressing the issue of the stray dog menace, a recent incident from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, where a boy tragically lost his life due to rabies following a dog bite, was mentioned during a session in the Supreme Court. The discussion occurred while a bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud was hearing a case.
This discussion unfolded when a lawyer, who appeared before the court with visible bandages, was questioned by CJI Chandrachud about his injuries. In response, the lawyer, identified as Kunal Chatterjee, explained that he had been ‘hounded and attacked’ by a group of stray dogs in his neighborhood.
Expressing concern for Chatterjee’s well-being, CJI Chandrachud inquired, “Do you need any medical attention? I can ask the registry to take you right now.”
Senior advocate Vijay Hansaria then urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu notice of the ‘stray dog menace’ prevalent in the country.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, one of India’s highest-ranking law officers, brought up the Ghaziabad incident during the discussion. He emphasized the growing problem of stray dogs, mentioning a recent video that had surfaced showing a child being bitten by dogs in Uttar Pradesh. The child, after developing rabies, was taken to the hospital, but the doctors could not save him, and he passed away in his father’s arms.
Justice Chandrachud also shared his own experience, recalling an incident from two years ago when his law clerk was attacked by wild dogs while parking his car.
In response to the Ghaziabad incident, the local police have booked four individuals from a family for allegedly harboring stray dogs, one of which reportedly bit the 15-year-old boy. Tragically, the boy did not inform his parents about the incident and attempted to treat the wound with turmeric. Eventually, he contracted rabies and passed away on September 4.
