NHRC Takes Suo Moto of Death of 12 Inmates in Asha Kiran Home Shelter

New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission(NHRC) has taken suo moto cognizance of the deaths of 12 inmates within a month at the Delhi government-run shelter home, Asha Kiran, in Rohini on Saturday.

The Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary of the Government of NCT of Delhi and the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, requesting a detailed report on the matter within four weeks.

An investigation by a sub divisional magistrate officer found that 12 inmates died at a Delhi government-run shelter home for the specially abled in the past 20 days. So far, 27 deaths have been reported since January at the Asha Kiran shelter home in Rohini.  

CAG and Delhi Commission for Women also flagged the poor condition of the Shelter Home earlier in their investigations.

According to a press release by the NHRC, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and the Delhi Commission for Women had also flagged the poor conditions of the shelter home in 2015. The report observed that the facility was overburdened, ill-equipped for medical emergencies, and short on staff, noting that a total of 148 deaths had occurred between 2009 and 2014. The shelter home for people with mental impairments is reportedly overcrowded, housing twice its capacity. 

In 2017, the Delhi Commission for Women also submitted a report stating that the facility was in poor condition.