The Uttar Pradesh Government has told the Supreme Court that it has directed chief medical officers to inspect all such religious places where "faith healers" are engaged in treatment of people to ensure that they do not indulge in any kind of human rights violation.
The State Government said this in its affidavit filed in the apex court which is hearing a petition that has raised the issue of 17 mentally ill people being chained in a faith-based mental asylum in Budaun district of Uttar Pradesh.
The State Government told the court that these 17 persons were chained in the 'dargah' on the pretext of treatment but released after a committee, constituted by the state, visited the place and directed their immediate release.
The affidavit also gave details of the steps taken by the State to ensure that such violation of human rights on the pretext of religion and exorcism may not be repeated in future.
It said all chief medical officers have been instructed by the state mental health authority to "inspect all such religious places where treatment is done by faith healers in coordination and help of district administration in order to ensure that faith healers may not indulge in practices which may amount to gross violation of human rights".
The affidavit further said all the chief medical officers in the state have been directed to identify all such religious places of their district and to recognise mental health camps running there.
It said that state government has directed all the chief medical officers and chief medical superintendents of Uttar Pradesh to implement the provisions of the Mental Health Care Act 2017.
Regarding the 'dargah' at Budaun, the affidavit said that after the issue came to light following the filing of the plea in the apex court, the state constituted a committee to look into it and the members of the panel visited there.
It said that "over a period of time, 'dargah' earned a reputation that whoever would visit this holy place, he or she would got exorcised of the evil spirits possessing him".