NHRC issues notice to Delhi govt over death of inmates at shelter home

The NHRC on Saturday said it has issued notices to the Delhi government and the city's police chief over reports alleging that 12 inmates died within a month at a shelter home in Rohini.

The death of inmates, in such a large number within a short period, indicates "negligence on the part of the authorities", the National Human Rights Commission said in a statement.

The NHRC has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that 12 inmates died between July 15 and July 31 at the Delhi government-run shelter home -- Asha Kiran -- for people with mental impairment, it said.

Reportedly, they included 10 women and two men. Their symptoms were similar that is loose motion and vomiting. Several other inmates are reportedly undergoing treatment at a hospital, the commission said.

According to data of the medical care unit of the shelter home, in July, 54 inmates were sent outside the facility for treatment. This has "caused alarm and revived allegations of neglect and poor living conditions" at the shelter home, it added.

The commission has observed that the content of the news report, if true, raise a serious issue of violations of human rights of inmates at the reportedly overcrowded shelter home.

Accordingly, the NHRC has issued notices to the chief secretary of the Delhi government and the commissioner of police, seeking a detailed report in four weeks, the statement said.

It is expected to include the status of the FIR in the matter, action taken against officials or officers responsible, and steps taken or proposed by authorities to ensure that such incidents do not recur, it said.

According to the media report, carried on August 2, Asha Kiran is "not new to controversy". The shelter home has a capacity of 500 inmates, but now over 1,000 are allegedly residing in it resulting in overcrowding, it said.

Reportedly, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had red flagged the functioning of this shelter home in its 2015 report.

It was observed that the facility was over-burdened, ill-equipped for medical emergencies and short on staff. The report highlighted that a total of 148 deaths had occurred during 2009-14.

It had also found "slackness" on the part of the department towards decongestion of the Asha Kiran complex. In 2017, the Delhi Commission for Women also submitted a report stating that the facility was in a "poor condition", the statement said.