SC notice to Centre, MP on keeping inmates in chains in mental health facility

The Supreme Court Monday sought responses from the Centre and others to a plea alleging that inmates are being kept in chains at a mental health institution in Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam district.

A bench of Justices S A Nazeer and V Ramasubramanian issued notices to the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the Madhya Pradesh government and others while seeking their replies.

The top court was hearing a plea filed by advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal seeking directions to unchain the inmates at the mental health facility near the Hussain Tekri shrine in Ratlam district.

The plea said chaining people with mental illness is prohibited under Section 95 of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017.

The apex court had said in 2019 the chaining of mentally ill people cannot be allowed, calling it ”atrocious” and ”inhuman”.