Petition in HC to know status of former minister’s son, others cured of mental illness

A petition has been filed before the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the Institute of Mental Health, Kilpauk, to disclose the status of former Home Minister Kakkan’s son Nataraja Moorthi and others, since they were reportedly cured of their mental illness.

J Mohanraj, general secretary, Jebamani Janata Party, has moved this plea seeking direction to the institute to act on his representation dated October 23, 2021, regarding the “sorry state of affairs” of the institution.

“I came across news on the social media about the sorry state of affairs prevailing in the Kilpauk Mental hospital, Chennai. In that news, it was reported that Nataraja Moorthi, son of a former State minister, Kakkan, a close associate of K Kamaraj, is chained and unable to move around. Moreover, about 500 persons among the 3,000 residents are fully cured but still languish in the hospital,” the petitioner said in his affidavit.

He further noted that he sent a representation to the CEO, TN State Mental Authority, seeking clarification on the issues detailed in the posting and the same was forwarded to the institute. “I am yet to receive any reply from the respondent institution,” Mohanraj added.

The petition is yet to be listed for hearing.