39. Inspection of mentally ill prisoners.-
(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in section 38, where any person is detained under the provisions of section 144 of the Air Force Act, 1950 (45 of 1950), or section 145 of the Army Act, 1950 (46 of 1950), or section 143 or section 144 of the Navy Act, 1957 (62 of 1957), or section 330 or section 335 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974),-
(i) the Inspector-General of Prisons, where such person is detained in a jail; and
(ii) all or any three of the Visitors including at least one social worker appointed under sub-section (1) of section 37, where such person is detained in a psychiatric hospital or psychiatric nursing home, shall once in every three months, visit such person at the place where he is detained, in order to assess the state of mind of such person and make a report thereon to the authority under whose order such person is so detained.
(2) The State Government may empower any of its officers to discharge all or any of the functions of the Inspector-General of Prisons under sub-section (1).
(3) The medical officer in charge of a psychiatric hospital or psychiatric nursing home wherein any person referred to in sub-section (1) is detained, shall once in every six months, make a special report regarding the mental and physical condition of such person to the authority under whose order such person is detained.
(4) Every person who is detained in jail under the provisions of various Acts referred to in sub-section (1) shall be visited at least once in every three months by a psychiatrist, or, where a psychiatrist is not available, by a medical officer empowered by the State Government in this behalf and such psychiatrist or, as the case may be, such medical officer shall make a special report regarding the mental and physical condition of such person to the authority under whose order such person is detained.