Why Supreme Court Refused to Watch ‘Cruelty on Dogs’: 'There Are 'n' Number of Videos on YouTube Where...'

The Supreme Court on Friday declined to view video evidence on alleged 'cruelty' towards dogs during a hearing on the growing stray dog menace, observing that selective visuals could turn the proceedings

into a “video vs video” contest.During the hearing, one of the lawyers appearing for dog lovers said, “I have some videos which will prove cruelty on dogs … in case Lordships wants to see them… the manner in which dogs have been dealt with…”Justice Sandeep Mehta, however, refused the request, saying, “No no there is another side too, then we will have to see those too. There are also several videos on YouTube of dogs attacking children, old people ...so we don't want to see any videos. We don't want a competition here like video vs video.”A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria was hearing a clutch of petitions on stray dog regulations, which flag the risks posed by free-roaming dogs and alleged lapses by civic authorities in managing the issue.Earlier on Thursday, during the hearing, the court also noted that dogs can sense fear in humans and may turn aggressive, indicating that personal behaviour could be a contributing factor in the rising number of dog bite incidents reported across the country.