Stray Dog Case Made Me Known To Civil Society World Over; Thankful To CJI For Allotting It To Me : Justice Vikram Nath

In a lighter vein comment, Supreme Court Judge Justice Vikram Nath commented that the “stray dog” case has made him famous across the civil society globally.

Justice Nath also expressed that he was thankful to the Chief Justice of India for allocating the matter to him.

"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,” Justice Nath commented while speaking at the Regional Conference on Human- Wildlife conflict at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, on Saturday.

 “And I am thankful to my CJI for allotting me that matter. Recently, we were in '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. And I have 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.

Justice Vikram Nath was the presiding judge of the three-judge bench, which on August 22 stayed the August 11 direction of a two-judge bench that the stray dogs picked up from Delhi-NCR must not be released from dog shelters. Justice Nath's bench ordered that the stray dogs must be returned to the same place from where they were picked up, after vaccination and sterilisation.

The CJI shifted the suo motu case on stray dogs to Justice Nath's bench after it was brought to his notice that the August 11 order was in conflict with earlier coordinate bench orders on the same matter.