Shillong, Sep 1: The Meghalaya High Court has requested the Supreme Court to allow it to retain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) citing that the stray dog issue in Meghalaya is distinct due to the aggressive nature of the dogs, which poses a grave danger to public safety.

The court’s decision comes after the Supreme Court directed the transfer of similar PILs from various High Courts to itself for consideration.

The division bench comprising Chief Justice IP Mukerji and Justice W Diengdoh in its order passed on Saturday (August 30) said, “Although many issues may be common between petitions concerning stray dogs in other High Courts and in the Supreme Court, we feel that it is our duty to point out that in this State there is peculiarly distinctiveness in the menace pose  by stray dogs. We have been specifically told that quite a number of stray street dogs are biter dogs and very vicious in nature. In roads, streets and other public places they attack persons suddenly and at times causing grave injury. Having heard those submissions in this public interest litigation, we had, inter alia, directed those dogs to be taken hold of by the public authorities, inoculated, vaccinated medically attended to and then kept in shelters for observation before setting them free. With dogs of this nature, freeing them without satisfaction that they have ceased to be biter dogs, and allowing them to frequent public places would pose grave danger to the public.”

“In those circumstances, we direct the Registrar General of this Court to make a formal application before the Supreme Court on the basis of this order and seek appropriate directions with regard to retention of this public interest litigation in this Court. We strongly
recommend that a public interest litigation of this character and nature be retained in this Court because of its peculiar and distinctive feature,” it stated.

The PIL will be listed on October 15, 2025, to receive a report from the Registrar General on the outcome of the application filed before the Supreme Court.

Also Read: Meghalaya revises cut-off score for State common entrance exam for B.Sc. Nursing

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