Delhi High Court: Based on news report published in The Hindu dated 11-01-2026, titled “Night shelters packed, patients, kin brave the cold outside hospitals,” a Division Bench of C. Hari Shankar and Om Prakash Shukla, JJ., took Suo motu cognizance with direction to register and list the matter before the Public Interest Litigation Bench for further consideration and appropriate directions.
The article highlighted the “pitiable conditions of persons of patients, attendants and kin of patients who are waiting for treatment in hospitals and who have no place to stay.” It recorded that as Delhi reeled under a severe cold wave with temperatures dipping to 4.6°C, hundreds of patients sleeping outside hospitals amid cold wave, such as AIIMS, Safdarjung Hospital, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and Lady Hardinge Medical College.
The report described how patients and attendants were unfurling blankets outside the AIIMS Metro Station and sleeping “beneath the open sky”, with many having travelled from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Jharkhand and Bihar in search of affordable or free medical care. The night shelters run by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board and AIIMS’ Vishram Sadan dormitory were stated to be “packed to capacity”.
The Court noted that the issue calls for urgent executive and/or judicial intervention and passed the following directions:
-
The Registry was directed to register the matter as a writ petition under the suo motu Public Interest Litigation head.
-
The Registry was directed to implead Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (which has control over night shelters in Delhi) and Government of NCT of Delhi
-
Listing Before PIL Bench, as per roster, subject to orders of the Hon’ble Chief Justice, on the same day.
[Court on its own motion v. State, W.P.(C) 380/2026, Decided on 12-01-2026]