NHRC issues third notice to Delhi Govt over newborn’s death at IHBAS

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a third notice to the Chief Secretary of the Government of NCT of Delhi over the death of a newborn baby at the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS). The notice was issued after the government failed to respond to two earlier communications since September 2025.

The latest notice, a show-cause notice dated June 16, 2026, was issued under Case No. 4430/30/0/2025. It directs the Chief Secretary to explain within four weeks, by July 30, 2026, why compensation of Rs two lakh should not be recommended for the mother of the deceased infant and why remedial measures suggested by an External Inquiry Committee should not be implemented.

This marks the third communication from the Commission on the matter. The NHRC had first issued a notice on September 18, 2025, followed by a reminder on November 28, 2025, after receiving no response from the Delhi government.

The Commission had earlier warned it could invoke coercive powers under Section 13 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, to summon the Chief Secretary in person if the report was not submitted.

According to the notice, the Commission had taken suo motu cognisance of a news report published on September 10, 2025, about the death of a newborn due to alleged negligence at the hospital. The mother, a destitute woman, was admitted to IHBAS on September 4, 2025, following a court order, while 26 weeks pregnant. On September 7, 2025, she delivered the baby in the washroom of the hospital, and staff reportedly could not find a clamp to cut the umbilical cord. The mother and infant were rushed by ambulance to the nearby Swami Dayanand Hospital, where the baby died.

The notice states that the Head of the Department of Psychiatry at IHBAS submitted a report by letter dated December 22, 2025, informing the Commission that an External Inquiry Committee had been constituted. The committee’s report found several gaps in the treatment protocol and recommended remedial measures. However, the Commission noted that the report was silent on the question of compensation for the mother, prompting a fresh show-cause notice.

The notice was issued under the hand and seal of the Commission and signed by Joint Registrar (Law) Indrajeet Kumar. Records from the NHRC’s case tracking system confirm the show cause notice as the third formal action taken in the case, following the initial notice and the reminder.

Separately, questions are being raised over delays in filling the post of Director at IHBAS. The Delhi government had advertised the vacancy, with the last date for submitting applications set as April 10, 2026. According to reliable sources, around ten candidates from institutions across the country have applied for the position.