Mankapur mental hospital test will decide if accused is genuinely ill or faking

If an accused person's mental state is questioned after arrest, police or the court do not decide the matter merely by observing how the person behaves in court. In such cases, the court orders that the accused be admitted for a mental health examination, and this examination is carried out at the Regional Mental Hospital in Mankapur.

Accused persons from all kinds of cases are brought to this hospital for mental examination, ranging from petty theft to serious and grave offences such as murder, attempted murder and rape. Dr Amarish Mohabe, Medical Superintendent of Nagpur District Hospital, said that at present four accused persons linked to serious offences are admitted for treatment.

It is often seen that an accused does not answer questions in court, suddenly starts speaking or shouting loudly, talks to himself, or avoids speaking to anyone. Such behaviour raises suspicion that the accused may be mentally ill. But according to doctors, such behaviour alone cannot be taken as medical evidence. Stress, fear or mental pressure arising from the circumstances after committing the crime can also change an accused's behaviour, so nervousness or odd conduct does not always mean genuine illness.

This is why a claim of mental illness by an accused is not accepted or rejected outright; instead, each case is examined separately and in full. This includes what the symptoms of the illness are, how long they have existed, the accused's prior medical history, and whether the behaviour has remained consistent, all of which are assessed together.

After the complete mental examination, the case goes to the Mental Health Review Board, or MHRB, and it is this board that takes the further decision. Based on the board's opinion, it is decided in which direction the court proceedings in the accused's case will move forward.