Hyderabad rehab shocker: Victim shifted to Kasturba Home

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], May 29 (ANI): Soon after reports of mistreatment of a young woman in a rehab centre came to light, the victim was shifted to Kasturba Home in Kumar Pallu on Monday. The victim, identified as Renuka or Rinku, was found chained and naked in a rehab centre, 'Aram Ghar' here. "A person at night comes and touches me, but I cannot catch him because there is no light in the room," Renuka told ANI. The young girl wants to live with her parents and wants to go to the place where she can play happily. However, Superintendent of 'Aram Ghar', Basha said that Renuka is mentally disable due to which her mood will change every hour. "She will be good for some time and suddenly in the next moment she will become wild. In December, 2014 the police admitted her here. I have many times said not to chain her but the maid does it," he added. However, after watching all the videos, senior psychiatrist Dr. Prasad Rao told ANI that it can't be even said she is mentally ill. "How they are claiming that she is mentally retarded, and where is humanity going. We don't even chain the mental patients in the extreme conditions," Rao asserted. Echoing a similar opinion, Varalakshmi, a woman activist smelt foul play and said that the cheer in her voice was a clear indication that she is not a mentally challenged girl, and questioned why an alleged 'patient' was kept chained in the dark, rather than being handed over to a mental hospital. "This is inhuman. Where goes are humanity in such a situation? I would like to request ANI and other media channels to immediately help in taking the girl back home. This kind of irresponsibility will not be tolerated," she said while condemning the atrocity. Earlier in April, the apex court showed its readiness to evolve a mechanism for rehabilitation of people discharged from mental asylums, whose kith and kin have been unwilling to take them back after their recovery. A bench headed by Chief Justice J. S. Khehar issued notice to the Union Health Ministry saying the issue figured in the concurrent list of the Constitution and hence the Centre also has the authority to frame norms. The court had earlier asked the Centre to frame guidelines for rehabilitation of persons who have been cured of mental illness, observing that it was a very sensitive matter. The apex court had earlier favoured framing of a uniform national policy to deal with those suffering from mental illness and their release from hospitals after being cured. (ANI)