Haircut to persons with mental health condition: HC issues notice to ‘Team KYC’, H&ME
Srinagar, Sep 13: The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has sought Department of Health and Medical Education (H&ME) as well as “Team KYC’s” response on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that seeks court’s intervention for stopping “forcible” trimming of beards and hair of persons with mental health condition and “distressing” practice of bathing them on camera.
Four Law students from University of Kashmir Khateeb Ali Buch, Sheeraz Ahmad Najar Tehseen Zahoor Badoo and Mehvish Manzoor have petitioned court to seek various directions.
In response to the PIL, a division bench of Chief Justice Arun Palli and Justice Rajnesh Oswal issued notice to the Secretary to Government H&ME and Team KYC through its Founder, Musadiq Bashir.
As ‘Team KYC’ was not served the earlier notice, the Court asked Principal District Judge, Pulwama to ensure that necessary measures are taken to ensure service of respondent No. 03 (Musadiq Bashir) before October 7, 2025.
As the matter came up, the two law students Sheeraz Ahmad Najar and Mehvish Manzoor raised the concern that the videos depicting forcible trimming of hair and beard of “vulnerable individuals have not been removed from social media platforms. “We are conscious and sensitive to the issue. Whatever requires to be done will be done, “the bench said, orally.
The court impleaded Department of H&ME as additional party respondent to the PIL filed last year by the law students.
According to the petitioners, ‘horrific videos” showing forcible trimming of hair and beard of “vulnerable individuals” are being uploaded on Facebook and other social media platforms by an organisation called team ‘KYC’.
According to the PIL, in these videos it can be clearly seen that the members of the organisation are forcibly trimming the hair and beards of (such) individuals, bathing them on camera which infringes their right to privacy and dignity.
“The individuals being targeted can be seen protesting and screaming but are rendered helpless and are being overpowered by the members of the organisation,” says the PIL.
In the PIL, the students said that they wrote an application to State Commissioner Persons with Disabilities in August 2024 to protect the rights of these individuals and to take cognisance of the incidents and direct the relevant authorities to take action.
However, they said no action was taken as the videos still continue to surface on the social media and thus they had to approach the court to seek its intervention to stop the blatant abuse of the vulnerable individuals and the subsequent video recording of the incidents and uploading them on various social media platforms.
In December last year, the court had directed the State Commissioner, Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to file a better affidavit for the purpose of disclosing the activities carried out by it in terms of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 and Mental Healthcare Act, 2017. The affidavit has been filed and the same was taken on record by the court.
