Overview
- Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta rejected Solicitor General Tushar Mehta’s request for virtual attendance, insisting chief secretaries must be in court on November 3.
- The court refused Bihar’s plea to excuse its chief secretary due to upcoming assembly elections, noting the Election Commission oversees poll duties.
- All states and Union territories except West Bengal and Telangana were summoned to explain non-filing, after the bench found widespread non-compliance at the October 27 hearing.
- The bench noted only West Bengal, Telangana and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi had filed by the last hearing, saying later submissions would be treated as belated.
- The case, taken up suo motu, follows the court’s August 22 clarification restoring catch‑neuter‑vaccinate‑release and directing ward-level feeding zones, with the bench warning that ongoing lapses harm India’s image abroad.