The Delhi High Court set aside a circular issued by the Centre banning the import, breeding and selling of certain breeds of ferocious dogs.
A Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora set aside the circular while noting the submission of the Central government that other than government bodies, no private body was heard before the ban was imposed.
The court remarked that the counsel for the Central government stated that he has no objection if the impugned circular is set aside with a direction to the Centre to issue a fresh circular/notification after giving an opportunity to all the stakeholders to raise their objections. The court ordered that keeping in view the aforesaid statement by the counsel for Union of India, the impugned circular dated 12th March 2024 is set aside.
The bench observed that since it is not possible to give a verbal hearing to each and every dog owner, the government would issue a public notice in a national newspaper and on its website inviting written objections to the proposed/draft notification/amendment to the rules within two weeks.
Furthermore, the Delhi High Court also ordered that the objections filed in response to the advertisement/ publication on the website shall be examined and decided by the Centre before issuing the final notification. The High Court passed the directions while disposing of a batch of petitions challenging the Centre’s decision to ban 23 breeds of ferocious dogs.
Earlier on March 12, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying of the Government of India had issued a circular asking all states and union territories to ban 23 breeds of ferocious dogs.
Previously, the Karnataka High Court also quashed the circular, stating that the Central government is at liberty to issue a fresh circular after proper consultation and by following proper procedure. The court had held that it is an admitted fact that none of the stakeholders were heard.