Overview
- The three-judge bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N. V. Anjaria heard victims, animal welfare groups and states, and said arguments will continue on Thursday.
- The court stressed that roads and public spaces must be free of dangerous animal intrusions, noting recent accidents and citing two Rajasthan High Court judges injured in separate incidents.
- The bench focused on strict enforcement of existing rules and SOPs, warning it would be harsh with non-compliant states after noting missing or disappointing affidavits from several major jurisdictions.
- Amicus Gaurav Agarwal informed the court that AWBI and NHAI have issued SOPs, with NHAI identifying roughly 1,300 vulnerable highway locations, as the bench discussed fencing to prevent animal ingress.
- Senior advocates including Kapil Sibal and Colin Gonsalves urged CSVR under the ABC framework and questioned bite data, arguing mass sheltering is unworkable as the court considers its November non‑release order for institutional areas.