SC issues notice to all States over allegations of starvation deaths

The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to all states over allegations of starvation deaths of persons who did not get rations because they did not have Aadhaar cards.

A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde sought a response from the states on whether a person being denied rations over Aadhaar.

CJI Bobde said, "I was part of the bench (which decided Aadhar case) it said people can't be denied services over Aadhaar. We want to appoint a high powered committee to probe this issue."

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for Centre informed the court that the reports suggest that these deaths are not starvation deaths. "No one denied food because of lack of Aadhaar, he said.

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves appearing for petitioner Koili Devi said "in many states, the notification is there but when tribals go to the centres there is no ration."

The petition was filed on behalf of the mother Koili Devi and sister Gudiya Devi of Santoshi, an 11-year-old girl from Simdega, Karimati in Jharkhand who died of starvation on September 28, 2017.The petition highlighted that Santoshi's death was due to the cancellation of her poor Dalit family's ration card since it had not been linked to their Aadhaar card.

Their rations had been stopped from March 2017, because of which, the entire family had been starving. On the day of Santoshi's death, her mother saves her some tea and salt - the only two things they had left. Later that night, Santoshi died, the plea said.