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Erwadi: chained residents died in an asylum fire
28 chained inmates died in the Erwadi fire after NHRC warnings in May and July 2001; Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance (In re Death of 25 Chained Inmates, order 15 Oct 2001), found the 1987 Act "not at all implemented," ordered unchaining and NHRC monitoring…
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What the record says
Worldwide register by region (Batch 2) · Batch 6
- Country / period
- India (Tamil Nadu), 6 Aug 2001; Supreme Court 2001–2025
- Mechanism
- Custodial neglect in faith-based asylum; chaining; non-implementation of the Mental Health Act 1987
- What is documented
- 28 chained inmates died in the Erwadi fire after NHRC warnings in May and July 2001; Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance (In re Death of 25 Chained Inmates, order 15 Oct 2001), found the 1987 Act "not at all implemented," ordered unchaining and NHRC monitoring; owners sentenced to seven years (2007); Mental Healthcare Act 2017 replaced the 1987 Act; in Oct 2025 the Court again directed NHRC monitoring after chained inmates were found in Budaun; the 1946 Bhore Committee had already called mental hospitals "mere detention centers"
- Finding or status
- JUDICIAL FINDING and OFFICIAL monitoring (Supreme Court order text; CLPR case file; National Herald, 2026; IJMR review)
- Contrary evidence / limits
- Welfare and custodial failure, not political silencing; included because it shows the complaint-channel failure (NHRC warned, nobody acted) in a non-political setting
- Label
- VERIFIED
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Reference and provenance
2001-IN-ERWADI