NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday took a suo motu cognisance of a media report related to the untimely demise of a six-year-old girl child, by deciding to deal with the unabated dog bite incidents, causing death by rabies.
A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan described the report as "very distrubing and alarming".
The court said, every day, hundreds of dog bites were being reported in the city and on its outskirts, leading to rabies and ultimately, children and aged were falling prey to the dreadful disease.
"We take suo motu cognisance of this news item," the bench said.
The bench asked its registry to register the matter as a suo motu petition in public interest.
"Let this order be placed along with the news report before the Chief Justice of India for appropriate orders," the bench said.
The news report published in the national daily was related to the death of the six-year-old girl, who was attacked by a rabid stray dog, in the national capital.
"The news item contains some alarming and disturbing figures and facts," the bench said.
Earlier on July 15, hearing a separate plea alleging harassment over feeding of community dogs in Noida, the apex court had asked the petitioner, "Why don't you feed them in your own house?"
The top court told the petitioner's counsel, "We should leave every lane, every road open for these large hearted people? There is all space for these animals, no space for humans. Why don't you feed them in your own house? Nobody is stopping you."
The court was then dealing with a plea arising out of a March 2025 order of the Allahabad High Court.
The petitioner claimed harassment, as she was unable to feed community dogs in line with the Animal Birth Control Rules.
