Woman, 35, found dead in govt-run Doon shelter home

Dehradun: A 35-year-old inmate at the govt-run women's shelter home at Kedarpuram area of Dehradun was found hanging from railing of a staircase on Saturday morning. She was from UP and was brought in around six months ago after police found her in Haldwani with mental health issues, said women empowerment and child development department officials.Expressing displeasure over the safety and security of women inmates at the shelter home, Uttarakhand State Commission for Women (UKSCW) Kusum Kandwal pulled up the district administration and directed a probe in the matter. Officials of women empowerment and child development have been directed to increase the number of CCTV cameras, night shift staff and proper mental health support for inmates diagnosed with psychiatric issues.District officials said the woman was undergoing treatment at Coronation Hospital and was subsequently referred to Mental Health Institute.Sujata Paul and other members of Doon-based Jan Prahar Samiti met the district probation officer, Meena Bisht, on Saturday and sought answers over the death of the inmate. Bisht told TOI on Sunday that an enquiry is on. The inmate was probably upset over the plans to reunite her with her family.The shelter home has had a long and troubled record, as an inmate had died of malnutrition here. Questions had repeatedly been raised about the lack of security and adequate care for mentally ill women, who make up the bulk of the inmates. In 2015, a hearing and speech impaired inmate was raped by staff members, made to undergo an abortion and the foetus buried within the premises. Nine people were subsequently sentenced, including the then-superintendent, with jail terms ranging from two to seven years.