“Forty-nine posts recently created for the Mental Health Unit are still awaiting engagement of experts.
Mental health is less explored or discussed topic in India however gradually this scenario is improving. Movies like “Dear zindaggi” is based on mental health and many youngster especially students are taking help of Psychotherapist, Psychoanalyst.
Delhi High Court order incorporates NHRC's suggestions on Mentally ill undertrialsThe Commission recently intervened in the case of Shri Charanjit Singh, a seventy year old person, who was in detention for nearly 20 long years as an undertrial prisoner because he was mentally ill and his physical and mental condition did not allow him to defend himself at the trial. As a result, his trial could not proceed further.
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He was even abandoned by his own relatives. The Commission moved a Criminal Writ Petition (Cr.W.P. 1278/04) for quashing criminal proceedings against him and suggested a set of guidelines to deal with cases of undertrial prisoners in similar conditions. The Delhi High Court by its order dated 4th March 2005 allowed the Writ Petition and quashed the proceedings. It also asked the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi to evolve an appropriate scheme based on the guidelines suggested by the NHRC.
The court in its order also incorporated the recommendations made by the NHRC regarding dealing with the cases of those who are mentally ill and in jail. Some of the suggestions being:1.Psychological or psychiatric counselling should be provided to prisoners for early detection and to prevent mental illness.2.Central and District jails should have facilities for preliminary treatment of mental disorder. All jails should be formally affiliated to a mental hospital.3.Services of a qualified psychiatrist in every central and district prison who should be assisted by a psychologist and a psychiatric social worker.4.Not a single mentally ill individual who is not accused of committing a crime should be kept in or sent to prison.