Dated 27th January 2006

The Commission has taken suo-motu cognizance of a newspaper report published in the "Rashtriya Sahara"(Hindi Daily) dated 24/01/2006, which says that a 60 year old woman was locked in a bathroom for the last one year in an old age home in the Tonk district of Rajasthan. The Commission expressed its distress over the report and has asked the State Government to send a status report in the matter.
The news item reveals that on the eve of Birth Anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, the President of International Marwadi Sammelan & others visited the old home in district Tonk, to distribute fruits to the old-aged persons housed there and found that a 60 year old woman Smt. Kanchan Devi, R/o Bikaner, Rajasthan was locked in a bathroom in an inhumane conditions. The report further discloses that the victim was kept in the bathroom for the last one year.
The Commission observed that the contents of the report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human rights of the victim.
The commission has forwarded a copy of the news item to the DM, District Tonk and the Secretary (Social & Welfare) Govt. of Rajasthan for their comments and for sending status of the action being taken by them within three weeks.

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