News

Volume 5 Issue 5 - March 01, 2007

Provide facilities to autistic patients or face contempt charges: Delhi High Court

D.N.I.S. News Network – The Delhi High Court expressed serious concern over the non-implementation of its direction to provide proper medical treatment and facilities to autistic patients and warned the concerned Government officials of contempt proceedings.

A Division Bench comprising Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice H.R. Malhotra came down heavily on the officials stating that it was high time the legislature thought over the failure of governance in the country. “We grant last opportunity to the authority concerned to put in place what the Court has stated before we proceed with contempt of court,” the Bench said.

When the Government asked for a month to provide the necessary facilities to autistic patients, the Bench stated, “Since September, three different Benches have expressed displeasure and anguish over your performance and now you are asking for one more month.”

Upset over the inordinate delay in providing proper medical treatment and facilities to autistic patients, on February 14, the High Court had directed top health officials of the Central Government to appear before it to explain the steps it had taken so far in that regard. The Bench had also asked the Centre and Delhi Government to conduct a survey through N.G.O.s to find out the exact number of autistic people in Delhi.