Atishi orders probe into lapses that led to deaths of Asha Kiran inmates

As many as 14 inmates have died since January allegedly due to health issues and malnutrition at Rohini’s Asha Kiran home for the mentally challenged

The Delhi government on Friday ordered a magisterial probe into the alleged lapses at Rohini’s Asha Kiran home for the mentally challenged, where 14 inmates have died since January allegedly due to health issues and malnutrition.

Asha Kiran in Delhi’s Rohini. (HT PHOTO)

Delhi minister Atishi ordered submission of a report within 48 hours while ordering the inquiry into the matter. She has sought suggestive measures to prevent any such occurrence in the future.

Delhi government’s social welfare department runs Asha Kiran, which was set up in 1989, with a capacity to accommodate 350 people. The shelter home has been involved in a series of controversies over the decades due to the deaths of the inmates.

In her order to the chief secretary Naresh Kumar for the probe, Atishi cited reports about 14 deaths at Asha Kiran since January. “These deaths reportedly occurred due to health issues and malnutrition and indicate the lack of availability of requisite facilities to the inmates.”

Atishi said the government cannot tolerate such kind of lapses if found true. “This is a serious issue which needs to be thoroughly investigated...to take hard steps to revamp [the] whole system to improve the conditions of all such homes to provide better facilities,” she said. “The ACS [additional chief secretary], Revenue is directed to immediately initiate a magisterial enquiry into the whole matter and submit a report on the same within 48 hours... Recommend action to be taken against those whose negligence has caused these deaths...Recommend suggestive measures to be taken to prevent [the] occurrence of such incidents in the future,” the order said.

In 2014, 51 deaths were reported at the shelter, and 59 in 2005. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India in 2015 rapped the government saying the home was overcrowded, ill equipped for medical emergencies, and short on staff.