HC directs Registrar file report on destitute home

Madras High Court today directed Registrar of the court to visit the Akshaya Trust Destitute Home here along with Medical Officers and ascertain the mental and physical conditions of the inmates there.
They should file a report about the conditions prevailing there along with the desires of the inmates, Justice V Ramasubramanian and Justice V M Vimala of the Madurai bench said a after report by the Advocate Commissioner was submitted today on the condition of the home.
The Advocate Commissioner was appointed following a petition by a functionary of All India Democratic Women's Association seeking a probe into the affairs of the home.

The court also directed ADSP Shyamala Devi to probe into the death of 22 inmates of the home in the last 14 months. It took a serious view of the deaths of inmates in the home.
There were 467 inmates in the home of whom 388 wanted to leave the institution. As many 180 persons at the home had mental illness and 44 were mentally retarded, the Advocate Commissioner said in the report, which was made available to the media by the court, said.
The home had violated conditions regarding the number of inmates permitted as per rules. Twenty five women had been accommodated in one building and they shared three bathrooms and three toilets. They were not provided toiletry items, the report said, adding, the home did not have proper safety measures.

The report said many persons had been detained without their consent and they should be set free if they were not mentally challenged.
The bench also instructed the Advocate Commissioner to take the help of students of Lady Doak College here to analyse the records of the home and to inspect the home again and posted the case for further hearing to Friday.