‘Cannot be a coincidence’: 14 deaths in a month at Asha Kiran shelter home strange, says Delhi HC | Delhi News – Times of India

HC directed Delhi govt’s secretary of social welfare to visit and inspect the conditions of the shelter home in Rohini on Aug 6

NEW DELHI: Delhi High Court on Monday called the deaths of 14 inmates of a govt-run Asha Kiran shelter home in a month “strange” and sought a detailed report on it from the social welfare department and Delhi Jal Board.
“Just too many deaths in a short span of time. Fourteen deaths in just one month is a large number. It cannot be a coincidence. It is strange,” the bench said about the shelter home for the mentally challenged.The bench of Justice Tushar Rao Gedela noted that nearly all the deceased suffered from tuberculosis.
The court directed Delhi govt’s secretary for social welfare, under whose department Asha Kiran operates, to visit and inspect the conditions of the facility in Rohini on Aug 6 and file a report, stressing the need for immediate “curative measures”.
It questioned how tuberculosis was “rampant” in a shelter home, as could be seen from the cause of deaths. The court also directed Delhi Jal Board to test the quality of water as well as the condition of water and sewer pipelines. The DJB and the social welfare department secretary were asked to file reports. The court was responding to a PIL seeking its intervention.
During the hearing, the govt’s standing counsel Sameer Vashisht told the bench that out of the 14 deceased, one was a minor, and the “maximum” deaths happened in the hospital where they were being treated. He submitted that all the dead inmates unfortunately suffered from “severe and profound category of intellectual disability”, had comorbidities, and were found in “precarious conditions” before they were brought to the shelter home. There is a team of doctors and nurses in the shelter home and the exact details with respect to the deaths would be known after post-mortem reports are received, he added.
However, the bench pointed out that the number of deaths was large and cannot be a coincidence. “Today the situation needs to be salvaged. If we can save a few lives, we must do it. What needs to be done immediately is that curative measures need to be put in place, first and foremost. We don’t want people to suffer in the process,” the court added, while listing the matter for further hearing on Aug 7.
It said a criminal investigation and fixing of responsibility was needed but the situation had to be “salvaged” for the inmates now. It asked the authorities to ensure that steps are taken to maintain hygiene and Asha Kiran is decongested. “Inquiry can wait. What needs to be done is carry out some curative measures. If there is some problem in the establishment, we must rectify,” the court said.
When the govt counsel submitted that certain recommendations have been made to deal with overcrowding in the shelter, the bench stressed it was time to act and implement these steps.
“This is not a time for recommendation; this is the time for action. Once the minister has visited and she passes an order, it will be done today. There is nothing else required. There is no one over and above the minister,” the court said.
The PIL has sought the constitution of an independent committee headed by a retired high court judge to probe the incident or, in the alternative, to refer the matter to CBI. The petitioner, Samadhan Abhiyan, also sought a direction to the authorities to carry out a “social audit” of all shelter homes.