New Delhi, 20 June 2006
The national Human Rights Commission has taken suo-motu cognizance of a media report which showed gory details of inhuman treatment meted out to inmates of a unlicensed mental asylum run by a quack at Saharsa in Bihar. Reacting to the CNN-IBN news report, the Commission said that the treatment methods shown in the report are primitive as the patients are tied to the tree and buckets of cold water poured on them. The video clipping also showed mental patients being kept in chain and brutally beaten up.
The Commission said the contents of the story, if true, were an affront to human dignity and raise an issue of violation of human rights of mental patients.
The Commission has directed the Chief Secretary, Bihar to get the matter enquired into and submit a factual report within two weeks. It further directed that if the contents of the story are found to be true, the Chief Secretary would intimate the Commission regarding the steps being taken for release of the mental patients and the steps taken to ensure that they are provided proper medical and psychiatric treatment.
The matter will be placed before the Full Commission on 5th of next month for further consideration.
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