DNA Edit: Cops should accord top priority to senior citizens’ needs

The murder of an octogenarian couple in a tony neighbourhood in Mumbai has recast the spotlight on the vulnerability of senior citizens who do not live with their children. It also underscores how the police have failed to live up to their commitment to ensuring safety of the elderly. Greed seems to be the motive for the killings as the flat was ransacked. A 25-year-old full-time domestic help, the prime suspect, was employed by the couple only a few days ago. The husband-wife duo hadn’t informed the local police about the recruitment; neither did they enter the details of the person in a diary which makes the manhunt difficult for the investigators. Astoundingly, the building doesn’t have CCTV cameras, which is a basic safety measure.

The perpetrator, in this case, knew about the security loopholes in the flat as well as in the building. Since elders require a lot of care, they cannot make do without domestic workers. It’s the same everywhere in the country since Indians working abroad or in other states do not always have the option of bringing their parents along. However, that doesn’t absolve the Mumbai police of the charges of dereliction of duty.

The Maharashtra Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior citizens Rules, 2010, mandates that each police station maintains a list of senior citizens living in its jurisdiction and visit them at least once a month. The Mumbai police’s website carries an elaborate list of dos and don’ts for senior citizens. But, it has failed to raise awareness about safety issues. In 2014, when a spate of attacks on the elderly in Mumbai put the police in a tight spot, it had planned to take a series of steps to instil self-confidence in senior citizens. Perhaps, it will now pull up its socks.