Psychiatric test for mentally Ill woman prisoner

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) to subject Vijaya, a mentally ill inmate of the Special Prison for Women in Vellore, for assessment by a qualified psychiatrist attached to the CMC in Vellore and file a report within two weeks.

A dvision bench comprising Justice K Mohanram and Justice GM Akbar Ali, which gave the direction last week, also directed the APP to produce the woman before the court on February 24, the next date of hearing.

The bench was passing interim orders on a petition from advocate P Pugalenthi alleging that the woman was being ill-treated at the prison. No proper treatment was provided to the woman, suffering from both physical and mental illness, he further alleged.