‘4-5 litigants bitten by dogs in December’: Gujarat HC bar association pens letter to Chief Justice
The letter also refers to complaints of other advocates having “a narrow and near escape” and states, "One advocate was surrounded by four stray dogs in the chamber building itself. I have witnessed dogs roaming freely outside the open area of the Honorable First Court.”
The Gujarat High Court Advocates Association (GHCAA) on Tuesday made a representation to Gujarat High Court Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal raising concern about the safety of litigants and advocates a day after a lawyer was seriously injured due to dog bite.
In his representation to the Chief Justice, GHCAA president, Senior Advocate Yatin Oza, has referred to a previous letter by former GHCAA president, Advocate Brijesh Trivedi, on November 10, last year, raising the issue of stray dogs. In the letter, Oza says, “The situation has worsened and gone out of control. The instances of dog bites to the litigants in December itself was four or five.
Yesterday (January 5, 2025), Radhesh Vyas, a regular practitioner of this court, had to bear the brunt as he suffered a dog bite. We had to rush him to hospital where he was treated but the bite was so severe that stitches were required and he was was administered three injections; in all (he) had to take eight injections.”
The letter also refers to complaints of other advocates having “a narrow and near escape” and states, “One advocate was surrounded by four stray dogs in the chamber building itself. I have witnessed dogs roaming freely outside the open area of the Honorable First Court.”
Urging the Chief Justice to take immediate steps in the matter, the letter says, “I would earnestly request you to be kind enough to forthwith ask the campus director or any officer whom your Ladyship deems fit to see that stray dogs are removed from High Court campus at the earliest. There is a lot of discontent and anger prevailing amongst the members of the bar because of uncontrolled movements of stray dogs in the premises of the High Court which endangers the physical safety and security of advocates as well as litigants and support staff of the advocates,”
In November last year, Trivedi, in a letter to the Registrar General of the Gujarat High Court sought removal of dogs from the premises of the HC in view of the November 7 Supreme Court direction to remove stray dogs from public places and put them in shelter homes.
Speaking to The Indian Express on Tuesday, Advocate Oza said, “There has been an incident in the past where some animal lover members of our Association have physically obstructed and attacked the officials of the Municipal Corporation to prevent them from taking action against stray dogs. This time, I have issued a video message as well that I will initiate strict action against those indulging in such acts by being the first informant… Monday’s incident had occurred just after the court hours as the advocate was on the premises of the HC.”
Story continues below this ad
Oza added, “After I made the representation, I also learnt that another advocate had recently suffered a dog bite on campus and he managed to escape with minor injuries. This is a matter of safety of the advocates and I shall take it to its logical conclusion.”
Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues.
Expertise:
Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including:
Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground.
Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure.
Social Justice and Human Rights: Her reporting offers deep coverage of sensitive human-interest topics, including gender, crime, and tribal issues. Her reports cover legal proceedings from various district courts as well as the Gujarat High Court (e.g., the Bilkis Bano case remission, POCSO court orders, Public Interest Litigations), the plight of tribal communities, and broader social conflicts (e.g., Kheda flogging case).
Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions.
Special Interest Beat: She tracks incidents concerning Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRIs) including crime and legal battles abroad, issues of illegal immigration and deportations, as well as social events connecting the local Gujarati experience to the global diaspora. ... Read More
