Naked women being filmed by CCTVs; 11 deaths in 2 months at 'Asha Kiran'

New Delhi, Feb 6: More shocking details about Asha Kiran – the Delhi government's shelter home for mentally unstable women where 11 deaths were reported in past two months – have now come to fore.

A surprise visit by Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal on Saturday found gross violations of human rights, extremely unhygienic toilets and shortage of staff at the government-run shelter home.

"Women were being made to remove their clothes in the open while being lined up for taking a bath. Shockingly, completely nude women were roaming around in the corridors,” DCW chief Maliwal was quoted as saying by News18.com.

“Moreover, the corridors of the dormitory had CCTV cameras installed which are being monitored by male staffers. The Commission saw the CCTV footage which captured mentally- challenged women roaming around nude," Maliwal said in a statement.

The shocking revelations about the shelter home were being made after the Swati Maliwal along with DCW member Promila Gupta and other staff members, conducted a night-long inspection of Asha Kiran on Saturday.

The DCW team found that the inmates were being forced to sweep, wash clothes and look after fellow boarders.

At another corner, the DCW team noted, an ailing inmate was forced to give a massage to a woman employee.

During her visit to the home, Maliwal found that it was extremely crowded as four persons were sharing each mattress and toilets were extremely unhygienic and shortage of staff.

DCW said that there were no adequate blankets for the inmates in the winter season and even wheel chairs were not being used as women and children in need were crawling on the floor unattended to reach the toilets.

It found home short of doctors as only one psychiatrist visits the home and several posts of doctors were vacant.

Citing the situation as "extremely serious'' and ''concerning the life and liberty of the residents", the DCW has also issued a notice to the social welfare department secretary and asked them to respond within 72 hours.

"There was no guard stationed at the entrance of female wing," it said.

DCW has also constituted a separate inquiry committee to look into complaints against the home.

Meanwhile, BJP has demanded the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia who is responsible for social welfare department which looks after the home, located in Rohini.

The BJP also demanded that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should own moral responsibility of the death of the 11 children and set up a high power committee to improve the living condition at Asha Kiran Homes.

"The Delhi government is responsible for the death of 11 innocent children inmates of Asha Kiran Homes and it is now trying to evade responsibility and mislead the people," Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari said.

The latest deaths were among more than 600 fatalities reported at the home since 2001. According to the 2015 CAG report, about 900 inmates were sometimes kept in that decrepit shelter.