SC judge Justice Vikram Nath says ‘I am thankful to stray dog for making me known’ globally

Speaking at the Regional Conference on Human- Wildlife conflict at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, on Saturday, Justice Vikram Nath said, “So long I have been known in the legal fraternity for the little work I do, but I am thankful to the stray dogs for making me known to the entire civil society, not only in this country but world over.”

“And I am thankful to my CJI for allotting me that matter,” he was quoted by Live Law as saying.

Justice Vikram Nath recalled the incident that happened in the ‘Law Asia POLA Summit’.

“The presidents of the lawyers association were here. So they started asking questions about stray dogs matter. I felt very elated…well people outside India also know me. So I am thankful to them for giving me this recognition,” Justice Vikram Nath said.

Justice Vikram Nath said he has also been receiving messages saying that, apart from dog lovers, dogs are also giving me blessings and good wishes. “In addition to human blessings and good wishes, I have their good wishes also,” he said.

The ‘stray dogs’ case

Justice Vikram Nath was the presiding judge of the three-judge bench, which on August 22 modified the August 11 direction of a two-judge bench on the issue of relocation of the stray dogs in Delhi-NCR in shelters.

The issue concerning stray dogs grabbed limelight after a Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan on August 11 ordered the municipal authorities in Delhi to begin rounding up stray dogs from all areas, and to establish shelters within eight weeks.

Justice Nath’s bench ordered on August 22 that dogs – except those infected with rabies or exhibiting aggressive behaviour – must be released to their original areas after sterilisation and vaccination.

This order was opposed to the August 11 order that said the stray dogs picked up from Delhi-NCR must not be released from dog shelters. The case had caused widespread anger among animal activists and dog lovers.