SC blocks Uttarakhand HC relief to animal attack victims

The Supreme Court on Tuesday suspended the implementation of the Uttrakhand High Court order directing the Nanital Municipal Council to pay compensation to the victims of attacks by stray dogs, cows and bulls.

The apex court bench of Chief Justice H.L. Dattu, Justice S.A. Bobde and Justice Arun Mishra put on hold the operation of the high court order as Nanital Municipal Council told the court that in the absence of "rules, regulations and guidelines" it could not catch the stray dogs and animals and put them in shelters.

The municipal council said it also suffered from paucity of space and funds to execute the court order.

The apex court on Tuesday passed the order after counsel Manish Kumar mentioned the matter before the court.

While suspending the operation of the high court order, the court also issued notice.

The Uttrakhand High Court, dealing with a PIL, directed that in the case of dog bites, the victim would be paid a compensation of Rs.2 lakh -- Rs.1 lakh by the municipality and Rs.1 lakh by the state government.

The high court in its order also said that stray cattle were attacking people in the Nanital, Haldwani, Ramnagar and Lal Kian cities of Nanital district administration and the concerned municipal bodies have failed to provide shelter to the animals.

It directed that in case of simple injury caused by stray dogs and cattle, the victim would be paid compensation of Rs. 1 lakh and in case of serious injury the victim would be paid Rs. 2 lakh.