HC slams govt on handling of bodies, treatment of inmates

The Delhi High Court today slammed the city government for lack of coordination between its agencies on medical treatment of prisoners as well as for the "disappointing" manner in which bodies are being handled in mortuaries of government hospitals.
A bench of justices B D Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva opined that the lack of coordination is probably due to the "extreme insensitivity" of the "overworked" officials of the authorities concerned.
It was also of the view there is lack of respect for people dead or alive and only those with money and power are accorded respect.
"Due to lack of coordination between the agencies, people suffer. Whether they are criminals or not. Criminals are also human beings. People alive or dead do not get any respect. No respect for others in society. Only people with money get respect. How long can we (bench) go on like this?" it said.

The bench suggested there should be a nodal officer to coordinate between jail hospital and referral hospitals outside the prison on providing treatment to inmates and sought a solution to this aspect from Delhi government.
It also sought an answer from the government and Tihar Jail authorities on procuring more prison vans to ferry inmates to and fro from hospitals.

It also praised the staff and doctors of Tihar Jail for the high standards of cleanliness and hygiene maintained in its hospital and dispensaries as was noted in amicus curiae Saqib's report.
It sought status reports from Delhi government and municipal corporations indicating facilities available in each hospital, under their jurisdiction, with regard to management of mortuaries and manner of handling dead bodies.

The court was hearing a PIL initiated by it after a murder accused died while in custody and an eye went missing while the body was kept in the mortuary.