Illegal detention of 113 people as mentally ill in Chennai<br>

Media carried reports on the 8th June, 2010, that the Chennai Corporation under a drive to remove mentally ill people from the streets in its ten zones, picked up randomly all those who were either sleeping on the pavements or loitering around.
About 113 people, who apparently looked dirty or a little disoriented, were sent to the Institute of Mental Health, Kilpauk. They were reportedly migrant labourers from the other states having no knowledge of the local language.
They were let off after obtaining their thumb impressions on a statement which said that they were voluntarily seeking admission in the Institute of Mental Health. The Commission observed in its proceedings on the 14th June, 2010 that the contents of the press report, if true, raised a serious issue of violation of human rights of the victims, and issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu calling for a report in the matter.