In Brief
In this appeal concerning a 2000 cholera outbreak at a Delhi beggars' home that killed inmates, the Supreme Court affirmed that beggars' homes must provide humane conditions upholding Article 21 rights to life and dignity. The Court found the High Court's 2001 remedial order substantially complied with but extended review nationwide. All beggars' homes must ensure preventive healthcare, sanitation, nutrition, vocational training, legal aid, and accountability mechanisms. States must conduct infrastructure audits, maintain capacity limits, appoint dieticians, and compensate families where negligence caused deaths. The Union Government must frame model guidelines within three months, with implementation across all states within six months. The judgment reorients beggars' homes from punitive institutions to spaces of social justice and rehabilitation.
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