The Meghalaya High Court today summoned elders of a remote village in South West Khasi Hills district for allegedly confining a mentally challenged person in a cell for a month.
Taking suo-motu cognisance of a report which appeared in a local daily, a division bench of justices T N K Singh and S R Sen also directed the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police concerned to ensure that no mentally challenged person is seen abandoned by his family or roaming about uncared in public places, or in other places inviting danger and causing inconvenience to public.
The DC and SP "shall take immediate steps for shifting the Slinder Turnia to a mental asylum so declared and recognised by the state of Meghalaya for treatment," Justice Singh said in the order referring to the particular incident the court took cognisance of.
The DC and SP were also directed to appear in person in the next hearing on June 15 and ensure the appearance of the headman of Ngundro village and the secretary to explain as to why they took law into their own hands in the name of social service in case of Turnia.
According to reports in a section of local media, village headman Bloswell Lyngkhoi had kept Turnia in a cell.
