Five held for human rights violation

YADGIR: Acting on the report published in the Express on June 16 about the inhuman treatment meted out to mentally challenged patients by the seers at a mutt at Goudigera village here, the police arrested five people, including a seer.Deputy Commissioner Gurneet Tej Menon told reporters here on Friday that the violation of human rights during the treatment of the patients by tying them with chains has been confirmed during investigations. She said seers and black magicians had no business to certify whether the patients were mentally challenged.“Tethering patients is a violation of human rights,” she said. Gurneet said a team of police and medical officers had visited the village and the accused were arrested .SP D Rupa said the seer of Mailaralingeshwar Mutt Shankraiah Tata, parents of a patient Tarabai Rathore, Raslusaba, Santoshi Challuvadi, Devindra Mudnal and Basavaraj Nayaka were arrested. The parents said the patients would escape if they are not tethered.Meanwhile, mentally challenged patients Shaivashankara Shivappa, Bapu Hussain, Devalal Rathore and Nagaraj have been hospitalised at the district hospital and psychiatrists have been attending to them.