NGO to file PIL in HC to protect legal rights of differently abled persons

SHIMLA: Alleging that some police officers are deliberately defying the specific orders of the high court to safeguard the rights of mentally ill people, a Shimla based NGO- Umang Foundation announced to file a PIL in the Himachal Pradesh high court for the protection of legal rights of wandering mentally ill persons besides to initiate contempt of court proceedings against erring police officials.

Addressing media on Sunday, Ajai Srivastava, chairman of the Foundation, said that some superintendents of police (SP) are blatantly disobeying the directions issued by the principal secretary (Home) and director general of police for the strict compliance of the Act and high court's orders.

He said that the high court on June 4, 2015 had directed all the SPs to 'strictly comply with' section 23 of the Mental Health Act. He said after the launch of their statewide campaign, he shot off letters to the SPs of Sirmaur, Solan and Kullu etc. providing them with specific information about a dozen wandering mentally ill persons but they simply preferred not to comply with the directions of the court.

He said that after raising the issue with government at the highest level, principal secretary (Home) and DGP issued fresh directions to the IGs and SPs on March 17 and 20 respectively again to strictly follow the orders of the high court and rescue the shelter less mentally-ill persons. But, the ground situation is same and SPs are determined not to take any action.

He said that now, the Foundation has decided to initiate contempt proceedings against the SPs of Solan, Sirmaur and Kullu in the first phase. The proposed PIL will demand to create a fool-proof mechanism to protect the legal rights of the mentally ill persons, improvement in the infrastructure of state mental hospital and create awareness among the police force; students and masses about the rights of such people.

"The wandering mentally ill persons have same fundamental rights like others have, but they cannot fight for the same," he added.