Abandoned old woman rescued by police, case against son

New Delhi, Aug 28 (PTI) Delhi Police has rescued a75-year-old woman allegedly abandoned by her son afterregistering its first case under the Maintenance and Welfareof Parents and Senior Citizen Act about 8 years of its cominginto being. The woman was found wandering near Lodhi Colony policestation on August 16. The cops took her to the police stationin a run-down condition and tried to comfort her, a seniorofficer said. Since the woman was not forthcoming about her whereabouts,the police took her to a shelter home where it was learnt thatshe could be admitted there only either by her blood relationsor through a court order. Later, a court directed the police to look for the familyof the woman and her son Ranu, a resident of Kotla Mubarakpurin south Delhi, was located. Police questioned Ranu who claimed his mother was notmentally fit and had left the home without his knowledge. Nevertheless, the condition of the woman indicatedotherwise, and a case under Section 24 of Maintenance andWelfare of Parents and Senior Citizen Act, 2007, wasregistered at Lodhi Colony police station, police said. Ranu was arrested but released on bail as the offence wasbailable, said the officer. The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior CitizenAct was brought by the central government in view of the casesof ill treatment and abandoning of old parents by theirchildren. The Act imposes various legal obligations on the childrenand heirs, who are also required to pay a monthly allowance totheir old parents, besides providing a mechanism to safeguardsenior citizens from ill treatment and neglect by their kids.PTI VIT HMPSC