New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Chief Secretaries of all states and Union Territories, except West Bengal, Delhi, and Telangana, to appear before it on November 3. The top court said the officials must explain why they had failed to file compliance affidavits in the stray dog management cases.

A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria said it was unhappy that most states had ignored its earlier directions. The court warned that if the chief secretaries failed to appear at the next hearing, penalties or coercive steps would be imposed.

“Didn’t the officers read newspapers or social media? Haven’t they read... even if they are not served, they should have been here. All Chief Secretaries to be present here on Nov 3... We will hold court in the auditorium,” the SC Bench remarked.

The court had earlier directed all states to submit reports on compliance with the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023. However, during the hearing, the Bench found that only West Bengal, Delhi and Telangana had submitted their compliance affidavits. The judges noted that incidents involving stray dogs continued across the country despite repeated directions.