CHANDIGARH: For senior citizens, safety and security may sound anachronistic. The numbers prove their pessimism--- 25 robberies, snatchings and assaults involving the elderly in the Tricity in the last eight months. Almost a fortnight back, two septuagenarians were robbed after being held hostage in Panchkula and Chandigarh. Madhur Malti of Sector 7 in Panchkula and Paramjeet Kaur of Sector 37, Chandigarh, were targeted inside their houses. Paramjeet Kaur, 73, who was robbed by four persons, including two women, is still under trauma. "I had shouted thrice when robbers tried to stick a tape on my mouth, but nobody came to my rescue. I am still wondering how no one heard my screams as my house is situated in a congested locality." In Mohali, a gang of unidentified robbers attacked a house near Derabassi and injured four persons, including an aged couple, and robbed valuables and cash worth over Rs 4 lakh on August 11. A senior police officer attached with the crime branch said, "The analysis of snatchings and robberies revealed that in a majority of cases victims were aged persons. Smart criminals are aware that chances of being caught after committing a crime with the elderly are very thin then." Worse, many senior citizens were not safe inside their houses too. Lt Col Raghbir Singh Sachdeva (retd), a security expert, said, "At present, senior citizens are being targeted in their houses and outside. If an elderly crossing the road is an easy prey for criminals, he is not being given his dues in his own house. Over 80 complaints regarding senior citizens accusing their wards of not providing them basis facilities is pending before different magistrates in the Tricity." IG (Chandigarh) R P Upadhyay maintained, "Protection of senior citizens is our prime priority and efforts are being made to approach each and every aged person in the city. As the situation in urban areas is changing, we are stressing on strengthening senior citizen associations in the city."
Posted on: Sun, 08 Sep 2013 06:48:17 +0000
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