Mentally ill senior citizen gets anticipatory bail

Chennai

Justice S. Vimala before whom the Criminal Original Petition filed by the 61-year-old senior citizen apprehending arrest by the Sathyamangalam police of Coimbatore District, said: “Putting the senior citizen who is mentally ill behind the bars at a stage where when both physical and mental health is not in a good condition, would not only cause administrative problems for the jail authorities, but also cause further deterioration of his health conditions. When the culpability itself is an issue to be investigated, no purpose would be served by detaining the petitioner at this stage.”

Justice Vimala while considering his bail plea also looked into aspects like whether his enlargement on bail would ensure safety to himself; safety to his family members; safety to the society and in case of his confinement in prison, whether that would ensure: safety to himself;  safety to fellow prisoners; and safety to prison officials.

On Sept. 9, 2015, the petitioner had gone along with his wife to their field. But little later, his children on information rushed to the spot to find their mother lying dead and their father injured with internal parts of the stomach remaining exposed.

The children were informed that their father had beaten their mother to death with a wooden log and he opened his stomach with a knife.  However, on lodging a complaint with the Sathyamangalam police, the petitioner was admitted to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital, wherein the department of Psychiatry on observing him from January 25 to February 11 had stated that the petitioner was suffering from Chronic Psychiatric Problem — probably Schizophrenia.

Justice Vimala on recording the undertaking given by the sons of the petitioner, said “ the sons gave assurance to the court that they would take proper care of the father and they would ensure that public is not put on peril on account of the conduct of their father who sought advance bail. On account of the physical injury, the petitioner is stated to be in immobile condition and therefore, he may not be in a position to roam-around and to cause any harm to the public.”