NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has asked the city government to ensure a sufficient number of long stay and short stay homes for people with mental illnesses who do not require regular hospitalisation but have no homes to go back to live in a safe and pleasant environment.
Dealing with a case of a woman convict who is suffering from schizophrenia and not having any family members to look after her, a bench comprising of Justices Mukta Gupta and Poonam A Bamba, said “it is the bounden duty of the State to take care of the life of all its citizen,” emphasising that the government must take adequate care of her and such other patients, for which stay homes have been set up.
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that affects a person’s ability to think, feel and behave clearly. In the 70-page judgement, Justice Mukta Gupta said the appellant woman will continue to stay in the Long Stay Home at Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) in the city and expenses of all necessary treatment and stay of her will be borne by the State.
As per the case, the woman was arrested in 2005 and later convicted under Sections 302 (murder) and 326 (causing grievous hurt) of IPC on August 21, 2010. She was challenging these charges before the high court. The woman’s appeal was against her conviction and life sentence for killing her husband. She was also held guilty of causing grievous injuries to her step daughter who later died.
While in judicial custody during trial she complained of psychiatric problems following which she ended up in IHBAS. As per the nominal roll, the brief history of a convict, the woman has served 18 years in jail. The court held she has already undergone the sentence awarded to her. The bench ordered that a copy of the judgment be also sent to Delhi’s Secretary (Home), Secretary (Health), DG (Prisons) and Medical Superintendent, IHBAS.
‘Bounden duty of State of care for citizens’ Dealing with a case of a woman convict who is suffering from schizophrenia and not having any family members to look after her, a bench comprising of Justices Mukta Gupta and Poonam A Bamba, said “it is the bounden duty of the State to take care of the life of all its citizen,” emphasising that the government must take adequate care of her and such other patients.
