NHRC issues notices to Centre, Delhi govt over starvation deaths of 3 sisters

Taking note of the starvation deaths, the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) issued notices to the Centre and the Delhi government on Thursday.

New Delhi, July 27: The tragic incident of deaths of three minor girls, all from one family, in the national capital due to starvation recently has shocked everyone. Activists working with poor and marginalised have called the incident as Delhi's shame because when in the national capital poor are dying due to lack of food, then the situation in rural areas is likely to be further alarming.

Taking note of the incident, the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) issued notices to the Centre and the Delhi government on Thursday. The rights body has sought a report on the whole incident from both the Central and state governments within four weeks.

"The commission has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports that three minor sisters (Mansi, eight years, Shika, four years and Parul, two years) allegedly died due to malnutrition and starvation in East Delhi's Mandawali on the July 24 as per the per the preliminary post-mortem report," read a statement issued by the NHRC.

"The Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Government of NCT of Delhi and Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India calling for reports in the matter within four two weeks, whereby both the authorities are requested further to submit the status report of Antodhya Yojana," it added.

The officials of the rights body said that the contents of the media reports, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights of the victims.

The deceased were aged eight, four and two. The girls belonged to a very poor family and were staying with their parents in the city's Mandawali area. As per television reports, the father of the girls lost his job and he had no money to feed his children.

At the time of deaths of the girls, the father was not at home as he went out in search of a job. The mother of the girls is said to have lost her mental balance after the deaths of her daughters.

The mother of the girls took them to a Delhi hospital where they were declared brought dead. According to the hospital authorities the three sisters were visibly malnourished.

The doctors added that the girls did not eat anything for eight days because of which they died. The father of the girls is still untraceable and mother is also very weak.