Patna HC dubs child’s viral video ‘shocking, unfortunate’

PATNA: The Patna high court on Thursday took suo motu cognizance of a video which had gone viral on social media showing a toddler purportedly trying to wake up his dead mother at Muzaffarpur railway junction.
The division bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice S Kumar sought “complete facts” from principal secretaries of the departments concerned.
The court took cognizance of a report published in TOI on Thursday.It termed the incident “shocking and unfortunate”. The matter has been posted for hearing on June 3.
The high court held two back-to-back hearings on the matter directing additional advocate general SD Yadav to get instructions from the government on the issue. It also appointed Ashish Giri as amicus curie in the case and asked the additional advocate general to ascertain if the apex court had taken cognizance of the matter.
The court asked the AAG if an autopsy was performed to ascertain if the woman had actually died of hunger, what actions were taken by law enforcing agencies, if the last rites were performed as per instruction issued by the government and who was taking care of the children.
But the court refrained from issuing any directions as instructions from the state government’s standing council in Supreme Court were awaited.
The AAG appraised court that the news report was “partially incorrect”. He submitted that the woman was mentally unstable and had died a natural death during the journey from Surat and her family members travelling along had informed the railway authorities. Court was told that the body was allowed to be taken home after her brother-in-law’s statement was recorded.
The court was informed that no FIR was lodged nor any post-mortem was conducted, but the district administration had provided ambulance and child was under the guardianship of the deceased’s sister. The court then directed that all these submission of AAG along with other facts be filed in personal affidavits by the departments concerned.