The Delhi High Court on July 1 sought response from Delhi government and city police over a plea seeking enforcement of certain provisions of Mental Healthcare Act.

A Division Bench headed by Chief Justice D.N. Patel issued notice to the Delhi government and the police seeking their response on the plea within four weeks and listed the matter for further hearing on September 11. The court was hearing a plea filed by advocate Amit Sahni seeking to implement certain provision of the Mental Healthcare Act with immediate effect.

The petitioner, in his plea, sought court's direction to ask Delhi government to constitute the State Mental Health Authority and Mental Health Review Boards. It also sought directions to the Delhi Police for sensitising the officers in accordance with the act and to conduct sensitisation programmes for judicial officers, police officers and the person in charge of custodial institutions for treating Mental Health Patients as per mandate of the act.

Sahni also requested the court for the formulation and implementation of policy providing legal aid to persons with mental illness. The advocate also sought for proper implementation of Section 100(7) of the act, which mandates that in case a person with mental illness is found homeless or found wondering in the community, an FIR of missing person shall be lodged at concerned police station and the police shall be duty-bound to trace the family of such person and inform about the whereabouts of such person.