Court directive against begging

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, OCT. 15. The Delhi High Court today directed Delhi's Police Commissioner to take necessary measures to prevent the practice of begging in public places in the Capital.

Disposing of two writ petitions seeking directions to the authorities to improve the conditions in Beggars' Homes following the death of eight beggars in the Lampur Beggars' Home in North- West Delhi last year, a Division Bench comprising Mr. Justice Devinder Gupta and Mr. S.K. Kaul said that since the authorities had taken action against the officials responsible for the eight deaths, there was no need to issue further direction in the matter.

``The Commissioner of Police is directed to issue appropriate orders and directions regarding begging at public places and make police personnel conscious of their duty by, inter-alia, holding meetings with the Social Welfare Department of the Delhi Government to tackle this issue,'' the court said.

The Bench did not issue any direction for monetary compensation for the families of the dead saying that no relatives of deceased had come before the court seeking compensation.

While the court had taken suo motu note of begging in public places in the Capital, one of the public litigants had sought probe into the eight deaths.

The Sub-Divisional Magistrate, the Additional District Magistrate and a committee appointed by the court to look into the facilities in the Lampur Beggars' Home had in the their separate reports stated that beggars there lived in pathetic conditions, and the water supplied to them was highly contaminated.

The court also directed the Welfare Department to take measures to improve the conditions in the Beggars' Home.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Other States
Previous : Thai food, Qutub ambience