Pune: Bombay High Court Orders ₹22 Lakh Compensation In Yerawada Mental Hospital Murder Case

Pune: The Bombay High Court has pulled up the Maharashtra government for its failure to protect patients at Yerawada Mental Hospital and ordered it to pay ₹22 lakh compensation to the family of a patient who was murdered inside the facility in 2013.

A division bench of Justices Manish Pitale and Shriram Shirsat held that the state had failed in its duty of care towards patients admitted to the government-run mental hospital.

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The court said the government was responsible for ensuring the safety and well-being of all patients under its custody and had clearly failed to do so in this case.

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The victim, a 52-year-old man undergoing treatment for a mental illness, was admitted to the hospital in November 2013 after his condition worsened. Just two days after his admission, he was allegedly killed by another patient inside the hospital.

Describing the incident as tragic and shocking, the court noted that the murder was a result of serious negligence on the part of the hospital administration.
It directed the government to pay compensation within eight weeks. If the amount is not paid within the stipulated period, it will attract interest at the rate of nine per cent per annum.

The court further observed that the case involved a violation of the victim’s fundamental rights and reflected the careless manner in which the hospital was being managed.

Records showed that only three attendants were on duty on the night of the incident, despite 72 patients being housed in the observation ward. The state government also acknowledged this shortage before the court.

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According to the judges, the hospital failed to meet minimum standards of care required for mental health institutions. The court said authorities should have taken greater precautions, including separating violent patients from others to prevent such incidents.

The compensation petition was filed by the deceased patient’s wife and two children through advocate Vrushali Maindad. They argued that hospital officials were negligent and sought compensation of ₹29 lakh.

The court, after examining the facts of the case, awarded ₹22 lakh to the family, holding the state accountable for the lapse in patient safety.

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