Sambalpur (Odisha): When a mentally unstable Jabir Sattar, an inmate of Sambalpur jail in Odisha, who had been incarcerated for possessing a few cough syrup bottles, completed his term and was sent to Samartha shelter for the mentally challenged, most well wishers thought he was in safe hands. On the contrary, Jabir along with 41 other inmates of the mental asylum were subject to torture and harassment at the shelter. After a video showing the inhuman treatment meted out to the inmates went viral, police swung into action and arrested Harishchandra Das, the NGO’s secretary on Tuesday.
The arrest was made after verifying the video, and site inquiry, said administration officials. Samartha was run by an NGO named Adarsh Sishu Mandir owned by Das.
District Collector Siddheshwar Baliram Bondar stated that the administration is taking steps to ensure the safety of all the residents at the facility. "We are planning to shift them to a safe place where they will be taken care of. We are also ascertaining the allegations that have been brought to the fore by an ex-employee at the shelter, who has owned up the release of the video," he said.
Lipika Darjee, a former caregiver, released the video showing unhygienic living conditions, mistreatment, and neglect at Samartha located in Netaji Nagar under the Dhanupali police station limits. Darjee risked her safety to document the abuse. "I joined the shelter as a care giver on December 25. But after what I saw, I decided to quit but not before recording evidence against the shelter officials," said Lipika from Titlagarh.
A B.Sc Physics Honours from DAV Autonomous College, Lipika says, the 18 days she spent at the home were difficult to bear. "The inmates were never given good food, medicine or treatment. And in case anyone was hungry and asked for food, they were beaten to hell. Women were undressed by the secretary and bathed in front of other inmates," alleged Lipika.
A woman inmate (who refused to be named) who gathered courage to speak to Lipika about the treatment there, expressed fear that since they are all tagged mentally unstable, even if they complain, it will be taken as a sign of madness, narrated Lipika.
On Jabir she said, he was taken to Samartha when Lipika was on duty. "One day Jabir slipped from the stairs and even when was lying injured, he was beaten black and blue. When he cried in pain, they inflicted more torture," she further alleged.
District Social Security Officer (DSSO) Thabir Kumar Mahanand says, he had already reported to the government about the pathetic condition of the asylum and it was upto the administration to initiate action. "I visited the shelter thrice and reported exactly what I saw with a recommendation to cancel its registration," Mahanand said.
Steps are being taken to blacklist the NGO and cancel its registration. “We have formed a team to ensure the safety of the residents and investigate the allegations in depth,” Bondar stated.
Samartha ran since 2019 but used to receive Rs 24 lakh annually in government grants since 2023. It has been under scrutiny since August last year, when funding was suspended due to the report I submitted raising objections to the functioning of the shelter, Mahanand added.
On allegations of some Samartha inmates being tortured to death, the SP said, we are checking the veracity of the allegations. "Only after investigations we will take action. Already one person is in custody after his arrest. More are likely to be traced and arrested," the SP assured.
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