NHRC issues notice to Delhi Chief Secretary and Police Commissioner over fire incident in Old Age Shelter Home

Taking suo motu cognizance of a media report that two persons were killed in a fire which broke out in an Old Age Shelter Home in Vasant Kunj, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued notices to Delhi Government's Chief Secretary and Delhi Police Commissioner asking for a detailed report within four weeks.

The incident happened in the intervening night of 3rd and 4th April, 2014. The dead included 60-year-old Ramesh Chand and 27-year-old Poonam, a dumb woman who was given this name by the Earth Savior Foundation, an NGO, which was running this Old Age Shelter Home in make shift tents.

The Home primarily houses mentally disabled persons, senior citizens and those left by their children. At the time of incident, there were about 150 inmates in the 10 make shift tents. Most of them were rescued but a few of them were still missing as it was suspected that they would have ran away after the incident.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the press report, if true, amount to serious violation of human rights of the victims.