NEW DELHI: Taking a stern stance on the recent spate of deaths reported at the Asha Kiran shelter home, the Delhi High Court on Monday ordered an urgent investigation into the matter while calling for immediate remedial measures. The directive follows the deaths of 14 residents, including a child in the shelter home last month, raising serious concerns about living conditions at the facility.
The division bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, expressed grave concerns, noting that such a high number of fatalities in a single month cannot be coincidental. The court highlighted that all the deceased were suffering from tuberculosis, directing the Delhi Jal Board to immediately test the quality of water at the shelter home.
The Secretary (Social Welfare) of the Delhi government has been instructed to personally visit the shelter home and submit a report to the court. The matter is scheduled for a follow-up hearing on August 7. By then, the high court expects a comprehensive report from both Delhi Jal Board and the social welfare secretary.
During the hearing, the court emphasised on urgent redressal of the condition of the shelter home, suggesting that if overcrowding is an issue, some residents should be relocated to more appropriate facilities.
This directive came during the hearing of a PIL filed by an NGO named Samadhan Abhiyan which called for a court-monitored probe into the shelter home deaths. The plea also sought a potential CBI inquiry and an audit of all shelter homes in the national capital to ensure transparency and habitable conditions.
The petitioner’s counsel pointed out severe operational lapses within the shelter home, implicating various Delhi government bodies. In defense, the government’s counsel clarified that only one child was among the 14 deceased, with the others being adults who had severe intellectual disabilities and multiple comorbidities. It was also noted that most deaths occurred in hospitals, and post-mortem reports are pending.
The court underscored two primary concerns: the need for a criminal investigation to establish accountability and immediate implementation of corrective measures. “Enquiry will wait; what needs to be done at the earliest is to carry out curative measures. If there is some problem, find it first,” the bench observed.
‘Take curative measures’
The Delhi High Court asserted that the foremost concern was to identify the lapses and adopt curative measures to ensure habitable conditions at the shelter home. The court also mandated that any shortages of drinking water or hygiene issues at the shelter home must be addressed immediately, ensuring sufficient water supply and adequate staffing to maintain sanitary conditions.