'Alarming figures': SC takes suo motu cognisance of TOI report over dog bites leading to rabies- What top court said?

The Supreme Court initiated suo motu proceedings on Monday after reviewing a Times of India report about rabies cases resulting from dog attacks.

Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan, while examining the TOI's Delhi edition, described the published report as "very disturbing and alarming".

"The news item contains some alarming and disturbing figures and facts," the bench observed.

The court noted that daily incidents of dog attacks were being documented in the city and surrounding areas, with rabies infections particularly affecting children and elderly individuals.

"We take suo motu cognisance of this news item," stated the bench, as per PTI.

"Let this order be placed along with the news report before the chief justice of India for appropriate orders," the court directed.

What Times of India said in report?

TOI reported that a lot of dog bitting case came from Delhi. A six-year-old girl, Chavi Sharma, died after being mauled by a rabid stray dog in Delhi’s Pooth Kalan area, sparking outrage over civic negligence. Despite repeated complaints, local authorities allegedly failed to remove the dog, which had a history of attacking residents.

Chavi was bitten on June 30 and began anti-rabies treatment, but her condition worsened. Delays and referrals between government hospitals followed, before she succumbed at a private hospital on July 26. Her grieving family has filed a police complaint, demanding accountability from MCD officials. The incident highlights severe lapses in public health and stray animal management in the capital.

Another case of a four-year-old boy came from Delhi. Abhishek Rai was brutally attacked by a pack of stray dogs in Delhi’s Alipur area on July 23 while returning from his Anganwadi school. Bitten on the face, he was rescued by bystanders and rushed to Raja Harishchandra Hospital for rabies treatment. His mother, Guriya Devi, revealed it was the third such attack on her son. Residents claim repeated complaints to MCD about the growing dog menace went unheeded. Only after this incident did authorities begin action, capturing three of the dogs. Panic and anger grip the locality, as residents demand lasting solutions to the stray dog threat.
The stray dog crisis in Delhi has reached alarming proportions, with aggressive incidents increasingly reported across the city. Once considered a harmless presence, strays have become a source of fear after a few turned violent, attacking residents, delivery workers, and children.

Despite numerous complaints, sterilisation and conflict-mitigation efforts remain ineffective, hindered by outdated ABC Rules 2023, lack of municipal resources, and opposition from animal rights groups. Residents, especially in areas like Mukherjee Nagar and Kalkaji, report hundreds of bite incidents annually, while many feel silenced by online trolling when they raise concerns. Civic authorities have promised plans, but long-standing inefficiencies, unpaid NGOs, and lack of a proper dog census undermine real progress. Legal restrictions on relocation further complicate action against aggressive dogs.

While activists advocate for proper feeding and vaccination, citizens demand safety. Political leaders, including Karti Chidambaram and Vijay Goel, have urged for a national task force and legislative overhaul.

Meanwhile, sterilisation targets remain unmet, and shelter expansions remain on paper. Former officials argue that the government’s fixation on ineffective policies and fear of backlash are crippling any real solution. Amid growing public anxiety, experts stress that prioritising human safety alongside responsible animal care is essential to break this deadlock.