MADURAI: Citing data released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that at least one in seven persons in India suffers from mental illness, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court posed queries to the Central and State governments on what steps they have taken so far to ensure the mental health of the citizens. “It is shocking to note that India is the most depressed country in the world”, begins the 15-page order passed by a division bench comprising Justices N Kirubakaran and B Pugalendhi on Friday.
“According to WHO, over 90 million Indians -- 7.5 per cent of the country’s population -- are suffering from some form of mental illness,” the judges stated. The organisation predicts that by 2020 end, this may rise to 20 per cent, they added.
Referring to further data, they said, “A sum of Rs 48 crore has only been spent on mental health in the year 2018-2019, which approximately comes to Rs 2.40 per patient in a year or approximately, 20 paise per month per patient.”
The Bench also posed a series of nearly 22 queries to the Central and State government asking whether there is a sufficient number of mental health experts, hospitals and rehabilitation centres for mental health patients in our country and the steps taken by the government to create awareness about mental health issues. The matter was adjourned to December 9. The observations were made while hearing a PIL filed by one KR Raja seeking mental health care facilities in prisons.
Rs 10K cost imposed on man for hiding facts
Madurai: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court recently imposed Rs 10,000 cost on a man for suppressing facts in his petition seeking direction to forbear the authorities from demolishing a dargah in Melur. The dargah is situated on an encroached property belonging to the Highway Department and the authorities attempted to remove it. However, the petitioner KS Jailani, who was the president of a Jamath, claimed that it was not an encroachment and that the dargah is 100-years-old.
A division bench of Justices N Kirubakaran and B Pugalendhi, perusing the pictures of the dargah noted that it does not seem to be a century-old building and is in fact only a thatched shed. Since the petitioner could not place any document to support his claim and also suppressed facts about previous petitions filed by him for the same issue, the judges imposed Rs 10,000 cost on him, payable to the HC Legal Services Committee within two weeks.