Inmate of Patna shelter home dies, two others missing

Patna: A 27-year-old inmate of a shelter home for mentally challenged women died at a hospital here Friday, a day after two other women went missing.

Anamika, an inmate of the Aasra shelter home here, was admitted to the hospital in a critical condition Thursday, Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) Superintendent Rajeev Ranjan Prasad told PTI.

“She had been complaining of breathlessness and was severely anaemic. She died at 8 pm on Friday,” he said.

Two other inmates, both in their early 30s, went missing Thursday and an FIR was lodged at the Rajeev Nagar police station in this connection, SHO Rohan Kumar said.

The Aasra shelter home had hit the headlines earlier this month when two of its inmates had fallen ill and were declared brought dead at the PMCH.

Following the deaths, which took place in the intervening night of August 10-11 and evoked an outcry, Manisha Dayal and Chirantan Kumar, who ran the NGO entrusted with running the shelter home, were arrested and remanded to jail custody.

Following the arrests, the Bihar Social Welfare Department deputed its own personnel at the shelter home for its upkeep as an interim measure.

A decision was also taken by the Nitish Kumar government to phase out awarding of contracts to NGOs for running such care units.