State revives Elderline to secure seniors

A spate of crimes against senior citizens has shaken the government. It has decided to restart registration of the eldery in Mumbai on Elderline 1090, a police initiative launched in 2006 that gradually lost steam.

State Home Minister RR Patil instructed all police stations in the city on Monday to revive the helpline and begin registration of seniors again.

Till 2011, more than 39,000 senior citizens had registered with the helpline. However, there have been hardly only 8-9 registrations in 2012 as against an average of 10,000 a year. This, largely due to police apathy.

"Police should revive the senior citizen helpline and make sure they visit each senior once a month," said Patil.

More than 4 lakh senior citizens live alone in the city. NGO workers said in the past decade, 188 seniors had been killed. In 2011 alone, more than 45 were robbed and murdered, mostly by domestic helps or service providers.

Police officers managing Elderline said they received average 35 calls from seniors every day. Senior citizens registering with the helpline have to give personal details as well as details of domestic helps or service providers such as milkmen, watchmen and newspaper vendors to visiting police officers.

Additional Commissioner of Police (North Region) Sunil Paraskar said police had begun to get in touch with housing societies again to revive the helpline.

Recent crimes against seniors

September 23

Sharafat Abdul Gafar was allegedly strangled by neighbours after his son got into a fight with them at Qureshi Nagar in Kurla (East). Police said on Sunday Gafar died of a heart attack but found on Monday the 68-year-old was strangulated.

September 22

Sudhir Jhemse (61), a retired RBI employee residing at Tata Colony in Mulud (East), was stabbed to death by son Atul (31) after he was allegedly denied Rs 150 to buy alcohol.

... contd.

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