Central team visits care home; Rajasthan High Court wants report

A Central team on Monday visited a state-run rehabilitation centre for the mentally challenged in Jamdoli following the deaths of 12 children, while the Rajasthan high court issued notices to the state government to submit a status report in the matter.

A division bench issued notices to the chief secretary, health secretary, social justice and empowerment secretary and additional chief secretary for women and child development.

The bench also asked the state government to provide information about care homes for mentally challenged children along with positive steps taken to improve conditions at these centres.

During the hearing the state legal service authority also submitted a report on the care home in Jamdoli where deaths occurred over the last two weeks. The report has mentioned several shortcomings at the rehabilitation centre.

On the other hand, a single judge bench has taken suo motu cognisance and asked the government to submit a factual report on this matter while hearing an application filed by advocate Sudhir Jain. The court has asked the state government why criminal proceedings have not been initiated against officers responsible for these deaths.

The applicant had sought criminal proceedings against the officers responsible for this incident. According to him, the children were in the state government’s custody. Therefore, under CrPC provisions, the concerned police officer of the area should have registered a case and submitted it before an acting magistrate who, then, should have investigated the matter and taken action while fixing responsibility for the crime. Since no such process was followed in this matter, it seems the government wants to save the officials, the petitioner alleged.

Meanwhile, a Central team visited the rehabilitation centre where 12 children died in the last fortnight. The team said the overall arrangement were all right but there were a few lapses that have been pointed out to the authorities.