Delhi Social Welfare Minister, Mangat Ram Singhal on Wednesday announced the formation of a committee for looking into cases of death of inmates at Asha Kiran complex during the months of December 2009 and January 2010.
The Minister said the committee would comprise Delhi Labour Welfare Board Chairman S. L. Bansal; Head of Psychiatric Department at Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital, Rohini, Dinesh Tyagi; Additional District Magistrate North-West Neeraj Bharti; Director of Swanchetan Society for Mental Health Rajat Mitra; and Joint Directore (Social Welfare) B.R. Singh.
Mr. Singhal said the committee has been directed to submit its report within a fortnight.
The move assumes significance since the National Human Rights Commission had in early January taken cognizance of reports of the death of 12 inmates at the Asha Kiran government-run observation home meant for special children. It had issued a notice to the Delhi Government seeking a report on the deaths within four weeks.
A human rights activist who had filed a complaint with NHRC had charged that 12 mentally challenged inmates of Asha Kiran, Rohini, had died in December-January alleged due to lack of basic facilities and of them three had lost their lives within 24 hours due to absence of necessities such as warm clothes.
