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'Tehran' John Abraham writes to Chief Justice of India, calls for review of Supreme Court directive on stray dogs
Actor John Abraham on Tuesday wrote a letter to Chief Justice B R Gavai, urging a review and modification of the recent Supreme Court directive ordering removal of street dogs from the Delhi NCR region.
The letter came a day after the Supreme Court directed the authorities to permanently relocate all strays from streets to shelters 'at the earliest'.
The 52-year-old, who was named the first honorary director of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, said dogs are not strays but rather part of the community and loved by many.
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'I hope you will agree that these are not 'strays' but community dogs - respected and loved by many, and very much Delhiites in their own right, having lived in the region as neighbours to humans for generations,' the Tehran star wrote.
'With an estimated 10 lakh community dogs, Delhi's canine population are its true
residents,' he wrote. 'It is neither practical nor humane to shelter or relocate them
all.'
The apex court on Monday ordered the Delhi government and civic bodies to start picking up strays from the localities and keep them in shelters, warning of strict action against anyone obstructing it. Many celebrities expressed their disappointment with the order on social media.
Varun Dhawan reshared a note on their respective Instagram. menace. We call it a heartbeat. Today, the Supreme Court says - take away every stray dog of the streets of Delhi-NCR and lock them away. No sunlight. No freedom. No familiar faces they greet every morning," the note read.
'Yes, there are problems - bites, safety concerns - but caging an entire community of animals is not solution but an erasure. The real fix? Large-scale sterilization programs, regular vaccination, unity feeding zones, and adoption campaigns. Not punishment. Not imprisonment.'
With added inputs from agencies
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Hindustan Times
22 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
SC cancels Darshan's bail; actor, main accused held
Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa was arrested in Bengaluru on Thursday, just hours after the Supreme Court cancelled the bail granted to him by the Karnataka high court in the Renukaswamy murder case. Police took him into custody near his Hosakerehalli residence soon after he returned to the city from an outstation trip. Police arrest actor Pavitra Gowda from her residence after the Supreme Court cancelled the bail granted to her by the High Court in the Renukaswamy murder case, in Bengaluru on Thursday. (ANI) The apex court's order also covered Darshan's associate Pavithra Gowda and five other accused, all of whom were arrested and will be produced before the trial court in Bengaluru, police said. According to police, Gowda was picked up earlier in the day by the Annapoorneshwari Nagar police. Pradoosh S Rao, Lakshman M, and Nagaraj are among those detained. While cancelling the bail to the actor, a bench of justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said, 'Granting leniency to such persons despite grave charges of conspiracy and murder sends the wrong message to society and undermines public confidence in the justice system.' In a democracy governed by the rule of law, the bench said, 'no individual is exempt from legal accountability by virtue of status or social capital'. In the present case, it said, 'By treating A2's (Darshan) stature as a mitigating factor, the high court committed a manifest perversity in the exercise of its discretion, thereby warranting cancellation of bail.' Police officers said a copy of the Supreme Court order was submitted to the trial court to secure arrest warrants for all the accused before their remand to judicial custody. The order follows a special leave petition filed by the state government challenging the high court's decision in December 2024 to grant bail to the accused. Darshan, who had been away when news of the court's decision reached him, was contacted by police and asked to appear before investigators. He complied, arriving in a luxury SUV before switching to another vehicle to avoid the media assembled outside his apartment. He entered the premises through the back door. The murder case, began with Darshan's arrest in June 2024. Police allege he orchestrated the killing of Renukaswamy, a resident of Chitradurga, after the victim allegedly stalked and abused Gowda on social media. The actor was detained on June 11, 2024, in Mysuru while filming The Devil and was held in custody for 131 days. He was released on interim bail in October and granted regular bail in December. With the latest court order, Darshan is expected to be shifted to the Ballari Central Prison. He was previously housed there after being moved from the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison when images emerged of him smoking and mingling with high-profile inmates. Following that episode, Ballari prison authorities heightened security measures, including raising the perimeter wall to 25 feet and preparing a secure cell. The measures were taken after fans breached prison boundaries during his earlier detention, police officers said. The Supreme Court's decision comes a day before the scheduled release of the first song from The Devil. The film's team had announced on August 10 that the track 'Idre Nemdiyaag Irbek' (You should live in peace) would be released on Independence Day morning, an event now likely to be overshadowed by the arrest. For Renukaswamy's family, Thursday's ruling was a moment of relief. His father, Shivanagouda, welcomed the decision. 'Darshan's bail has been cancelled. There is an order to arrest him. This brings our faith back…The Supreme Court order reinstates the belief that no one can escape the law,' he said. Chief minister Siddaramaiah's legal advisor AS Ponnanna said the verdict would strengthen the prosecution's case. 'We had feared that the investigation would be hampered because Darshan was out on bail. There was a possibility that he could influence the witnesses while he was out. However, now all these challenges will be resolved with the order given by the Supreme Court,' he said. Soon after the court's order was received on Thursday morning, senior police officials briefed home minister G Parameshwara at the Vidhana Soudha. 'The law is the same for everyone. No one is above the law in the country. Everyone should respect the law of the land. The accused have the opportunity to fight for justice further, and that is also allowed by the law,' Parameshwara said.
Time of India
36 minutes ago
- Time of India
Turning Noida into metropolitan council will need change in law
Noida: Were UP govt to consider a structural makeover for replacing Noida Authority with a metropolitan council, as the Supreme Court has directed it to do, it would have to bring in an amendment to the UP Industrial Area Development Act, 1976, under which New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (Noida) was created. Such a change will, however, be complex and protracted, requiring extensive consultations and hinge largely on the state's political will, former officials said. Supreme Court on Wednesday asked UP govt to consider replacing the industrial development authority with a metropolitan council for people-centric governance. You Can Also Check: Noida AQI | Weather in Noida | Bank Holidays in Noida | Public Holidays in Noida | Gold Rates Today in Noida | Silver Rates Today in Noida The direction was based on findings of an SC-constituted Special Investigation Team (SIT), which delivered a stinging report into the Authority's functioning, flagging, among other things, decision-making centralised in the hands of a few officers, land allotment policies favouring builders and a lack of transparency. The SIT, led by IPS officer SB Shiradkar, found Noida officers involved in 20 cases of excess compensation to landowners and recommended a probe into the assets of officials and their relatives. It also found the absence of processes for public consultation and environmental impact assessments, along with delays and inadequate grievance redressal. 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Between 1966 and 1990, Delhi metropolitan council had functioned as the deliberative wing of the Delhi administration, with positions such as leader of the house, leader of the opposition, whips, and presiding officers, but without full legislative powers. Alok Singh of Active Citizen Forum, residents have long been demanding representation on the Authority's board. "Citizens are never consulted on what the city needs. Instead, projects are imposed on us, many of which prove useless. Residents are connected to the ground and know the city's needs better." Since 2022, the forum has written to the Greater Noida Authority on several occasions seeking an authority-citizen committee and urged that the model be adopted by all industrial authorities in the state. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Happy Independence Day wishes , messages , and quotes !
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Bihar SIR: Bench sends a reminder on right to vote, fairness and transparency
Underlining the right of enfranchisement, the Supreme Court Thursday asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure fairness and transparency in the process, even as it allowed the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar. 'Let's proceed on the premise that you have the power to go for SIR. Going by that, there are 7.90 crore voters in January 2025. Of them, 7.24 crore have already filled forms and remaining are 65 lakh. Out of 65 lakh, you say 22 lakh are dead. You must have heard there are serious disputes on whether someone is dead or alive. What is the mechanism to know these people so that the family can know their member has been included as dead in the list?,' Justice Surya Kant observed. 'You (EC) are exercising the power of intensive survey as a preliminary enquiry into every voter identity. The powers (to do so) are prima facie traceable, so we do not wish to interdict… but your manner has to be reasonable, has to give certain comfort to citizens. Should not strain a person to become eligible,' Justice Joymalya Bagchi, who was also part of the bench, said. This line of questioning from the bench concluded with the EC's counsel, Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, agreeing to publish a list of voters who could potentially be deleted from the rolls. 'Since this action can have some civil consequences of depriving a citizen or a person of the right to franchise, therefore, fair procedure is required,' Justice Kant said. Justice Bagchi also emphasised on a citizen's fundamental right to know why he or she has been deleted from the voter list. 'A departure from the process is only permissible in a special circumstance. Let's say the SIR is a special circumstance but the SOP requires you to give publicity and ensure opportunity to persons to appeal. It is a fundamental right to know as to why people being deleted requires the widest possible publicity,' Justice Bagchi said. Lawyers appearing for the petitioners highlighted to the Court that the EC had replaced digital voter lists with scanned versions that can be searched. The bench orally agreed with the petitioners that the data must be searchable. However, Dwivedi expressed difficulty. citing apprehensions that political parties might aggregate the data and whether the publication could be a violation of the right to privacy. 'We don't want citizens' rights to be dependent on political party workers,' Justice Kant said.
