India, Jan. 15 -- The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) to take charge of subways near major government hospitals and immediately provide beds and winterised tents for patients' relatives, asserting that the denial of shelter amounts to a violation of fundamental rights.

A bench of chief justice DK Upadhyaya and justice Tejas Karia observed that the government and its agencies are duty-bound to ensure that the homeless and those in search for treatment are given adequate space to take shelter.

"Ours is a social welfare state, and accordingly, the right to adequate shelter, if denied to the citizenry, amounts to a violation of the fundamental rights under Part III of the Constitution...