25 June 2010
By A Selvaraj
Chennai, India
Police Action After 83-Year-Old Accuses Son Of Neglecting Him
Foregoing Upkeep: 83-year-old Muthukrishnan; his son Kumar (right)Police arrested Kumar, a resident of Pattalam, based on the complaint of his father Muthukrishnan on Wednesday. Police said Muthukrishnan had approached the local police station earlier to seek legal action against his son who was neglecting him. “We summoned Kumar and he entered into a compromise with his father in front of Ayanavaram police inspector Ramesh, three months ago. As per the deal, Kumar promised to give Rs 200 to his father every month. However, he failed to adhere to his words, instead he harassed his father. Later, Muthukrishnan lodged another complaint and based on it, police arrested Kumar. He was remanded in judicial custody after being produced before a magistrate’s court,” a police officer said. According to the law, neglect, exposure and abandonment of senior citizens is punishable with imprisonment up to three months or a fine up to Rs 5,000 or both.
Muthukrishnan is a vegetable vendor and has three sons Kumar, 57, Sekar, 53, and Kamalakannan, 48, apart from a daughter Padmini, 45. All of them are married. Muthukrishnan has had to depend on his children following the death of his wife five years ago. Though Sekar and Kamalakannan supported their father, Kumar did not help out at all. He works in a printing press and lives with his family in the adjacent locality.
Additional commissioner of police (law and order) Mohammad Shakeel Akther said, “Many elderly people don’t know about the new Act. Any harassment of senior citizens will be dealt with severely, according to law.”
Caring For The Old
The elderly unable to support themselves are entitled to maintenance
- According to the law, neglect, exposure and abandonment of senior citizens is punishable with imprisonment of up to three months or a fine of up to Rs 5,000 or both
- Maintenance of senior citizens includes provision of food, clothing, residence and medical treatment to them
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