The Bombay High court on Monday directed the Pune Police to assist Municipal Corporation (PMC) to reintroduce the stray dogs captured from Brahma Suncity Society in their original surroundings. The directions were issued after the PMC informed the court that some members of the society situated in Wadgaon-Sheri area were obstructing to releasing the dogs as per Animal Birth Control Rules (Dogs). The court held that the society was bound to abide by the laws as well past orders of the HC for care, welfare and maintenance of dogs, and therefore it cannot obstruct the PMC. The court posted the matter for compliance on June 7. A division bench of Justice Gautam S Patel and Justice Neela K Gokhale was hearing a petition filed by activist Vineeta Tandon, who referred to an incident that took place on February 7 at a residential society where “a worker’s child aged 5-6 years has been injured due to an alleged stragy dog bite”. Following the incident, over 50 stray dogs have been kept at three shelters maintained by the PMC for over two months. In her petition, the activist said that the dogs taken away “are all healthy, friendly, peaceful, vaccinated and sterilised community dogs and no incident of biting was reported from 2010 till 2023”. The petition alleged “negligence of the PMC in their duty” and, pending hearing, sought directions for setting up a fact-finding committee in each district of Maharashtra and also implementing orders passed by the Supreme Court in that regard. Pending hearing, the plea also sought a direction to the state government and the PMC to release the stray dogs captured and send them “back to their original habitat inside the said society”. The plea also sought a direction to the state to investigate the dog bite cases in and around Pune city and submit a report. When the matter came up for hearing on March 15, a division bench led by Justice Gautam S Patel observed that the grievances raised were “clearly in the nature of a PIL”. On Monday, the bench noted that a past HC order in Sharmila Sankar vs Union of India case, had noted provisions made for protection, care, maintenance and welfare of strays within society and housing areas, and it was “not open to respondent society that it will not abide by law”. Representing the PMC, advocate Manisha Jagtap submitted that its attempt to reintegrate or reintroduce the dogs to original surroundings are restricted by members of the respondent society. The court asked police to assist the PMC and said that the society cannot obstruct the same.
