Delhi High Court asks govt for fresh status report over shelter home deaths
Urging the social welfare secretary to not feel helpless, the court on Wednesday emphasised the need to address the crisis effectively.
The Delhi high court on Wednesday ordered the social welfare secretary in the Delhi government to file a fresh status report by Monday over the death of 28 inmates in the government-run Asha Kiran shelter home for mentally challenged people, news agency ANI reported.
Taking note of the shortage of medical and non-medical staff, the court recommended hiring contractual employees and suggested approaching the Lieutenant Governor's office for the release of additional funds.
Staff shortage among other issues was found by the petition committee of the Delhi government when it visited the shelter home on August 3. The committee also found that the inmates were not being provided enough food, clean water or proper healthcare.
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The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has blamed the pathetic condition of the shelter home on the Lieutenant Governor's office. "Services in Delhi are under LG. Therefore, the responsibility of transferring the posting of officers is his. He should not run away from his responsibility,” Kuldeep Kumar, a member of the petition committee had said.
The party had alleged that the home's administrator was arrested by the CBI in 2016 over corruption charges and was suspended for five years. Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj had questioned the grounds of his appointment and the lack of action against him by LG VK Saxena over the deaths.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also issued notices to the Delhi government and the city's police over the series of deaths.
Urging the secretary to not feel helpless, the court on Wednesday emphasised the need to address the crisis effectively.
A bench of acting chief justice Manmohan and justice Tushar Rao Gedeala was hearing NGO Samadhan Abhiyan’s plea seeking the constitution of a retired high court judge-led committee for conducting a court-monitored probe into the deaths of a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe. At least 28 inmates have died at the shelter home since January 2024. 14 among them, 13 adults and one minor, had died in July alone.
(With inputs from agencies)