Supreme Court Shifts Focus on Mental Health Rights to NHRC

The Supreme Court has allocated a Public Interest Litigation concerning the 2017 Mental Healthcare Act to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for closer review and supervision. This decision was announced by a bench consisting of Justices P S Narasimha and R Mahadevan, urging NHRC to oversee the petition initiated by advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal.

Accompanying the Supreme Court's ruling was an affidavit from the Centre, acknowledging the establishment of necessary statutory bodies like the Central Mental Health Authority. However, the petition points to broader areas requiring oversight, prompting the court to reinforce its directions on monitoring.

The PIL highlighted grave issues, including chaining of mentally ill patients in faith-based asylums. The court emphasized that such practices violate Article 21 of the Constitution, which ensures life and personal liberty, and urged swift action to uphold the dignity of the affected individuals.