CHENNAI: The Madras high court on Tuesday ordered notice to the Chennai Corporation
commissioner on a public interest litigation seeking a direction to the
civic body to take action against owners of animals which loiter the
streets without valid licences.

The petition, filed by K
Chandrasekaran of Civil Aviation Colony in Nanganallur, claimed the
corporation had failed to protect people from such animals and appealed
to the court to order that these animals, which were “highly dangerous
to the public” be removed from the streets.

The petitioner said
his wife was attacked by a cow on October 8 last year on a road in
Civil Aviation Colony. “It butted her in the stomach with its horn and
lacerated her skin causing a major injury. Doctors put 20 stitches in
her abdomen and she was under treatment for a month,” the petition said.

The petitioner said that when he lodged a complaint with the
corporation authority, officials launched a drive for two days before the animals were left free.

“Despite repeated complaints, the corporation authority did not act
after that against animals without a valid licence or mark and the
owners of the animals, which is against the provisions enumerated under
sections 280 and 281 of the Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act
1919,” said the petition.

According to section 280(b) of the
act, “No person shall keep an animal on his premises so as to be a
nuisance or so as to be dangerous,” while section 281 of the act says
“If any dogs or pigs are found straying, the same may be summarily
destroyed by any person authorised in writing by the Commissioner.”