Atishi orders probe into deaths of 14 inmates of Asha Kiran shelter home

Delhi minister Atishi on Friday directed the Revenue Department to initiate a magisterial inquiry into the deaths of 14 inmates of the Asha Kiran shelter home in northwest Delhi's Rohini and submit a report within 48 hours.

Asha Kiran is a Delhi government-run facility for "mentally challenged" and comes under its Social Welfare Department. The department is currently without a head following the resignation of Raaj Kumar Anand.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is currently lodged in Tihar jail, has not assigned the charge of the department to any minister.

Taking cognisance of news reports on the deaths since January this year, Atishi said they "reportedly occurred due to health issues and malnutrition and indicates the lack of availability of requisite facilities to the inmates".

"It is very shocking to hear such bad news in the capital city of Delhi and we cannot tolerate such kind of lapses, if found true. This is a very serious issue and needs to be thoroughly investigated in order to take hard steps to revamp whole system to improve the conditions of all such homes to provide better facilities to the inmates," the minister said.

She directed the additional chief secretary revenue to immediately initiate a magisterial inquiry into the whole matter as reported in the news report and submit a report within 48 hours.

"Recommend action to be taken against those whose negligence has caused these deaths. Recommend suggestive measures to be taken to prevent occurrence of such incidents in future," the note issued by the minister here said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said its MP from northwest Delhi, Yogendra Chandoliya, will raise the issue in Lok Sabha and its party leaders will visit the shelter home.

All India BJP Mahila Morcha vice president Rekha Gupta, BJP MLA from Rohini Vijender Gupta and the party's North West district president Satyanarain Gautam tried to enter the shelter home but the gates were not opened for them, following which they staged a protest.

Earlier in the day, Delhi cabinet minister Gopal Rai slammed the BJP over the visit.

"BJP is reaching Asha Kiran to protest. They did not protest over the deaths of mother-son, who drowned in a waterlogged drain, since that matter comes under DDA. They ran away from there. I want to say that this dual model of politics has to stop," Rai said.

"The concerned minister is monitoring it. Whoever will be guilty will not be spared. Whatever power we have, we will take action. We are standing with the people of Delhi, whether the issue is related to MCD or DDA," he added.

Tanuja, 22, and her three-year-old son Priyansh had gone to a weekly market in east Delhi's Ghazipur area when they fell into a waterlogged drain and drowned during Wednesday evening's intense spell of downpour in the city.