Friday, 17 May, 2024
By: Yash Gupte
Senior citizens are most vulnerable to be victim of any crime, since they are soft targets. Image Source: IANS
A total of 26,110 cases were registered for committing crime against Senior Citizens (aged above 60 years), showing an increase of 5.3 percent in registration over 2020 (24,794 cases).
A 65 year old woman was murdered in Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh district. According to the Additional Superintendent of Police (West) Rohit Mishra, the woman, Shakuntala Singh, was found lying dead on a charpoy at her home in Maghi village on Tuesday. Singh was murdered using a sharp-edged knife, according to the police, adding that she was living with her sister. Mishra continued by saying that the woman had gone to a religious event on Monday night. She slept in the verandah after returning from the programme, and her body was discovered on Tuesday. Police have sent her body for post-mortem and the matter is being probed.
Senior citizens are most vulnerable to be victim of any crime, since they are soft targets. The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 define senior citizens as the Indian citizens who have attained the age of 60 years or above. The Central government had introduced the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Social Welfare (Amendment) Bill to broaden the scope of social security for the elderly by making son-in-laws, daughters-in-law, and distant relatives also responsible for taking care.
A total of 29,272 cases of murder were registered during 2021, showing a marginal increase of 0.3 percent over 2020 (29,193 cases). A total of 26,110 cases were registered for committing crime against Senior Citizens (aged above 60 years), showing an increase of 5.3 percent in registration over 2020 (24,794 cases). According to criminal head-wise cases, simple harm accounted for 28.3 percent (7,396 cases) of crimes against senior citizens in 2021, followed by theft with 13.5 percent (3,531 incidents) and FCF (Forgery, Cheating, & Fraud) with 11.3 percent (2,948 cases). Talking about the crime against senior citizens in the metropolitan cities, a total of 4,264 cases of crime registered in 19 metropolitan cities during 2021 as compared to 4,029 cases during 2020, showing an increase in the registration by 5.8 percent during 2021 over 2020.
The crimes against senior citizens in India have been continuously rising over the years. The year 2019 recorded the highest number of crimes (27,804) committed against the senior citizens. The year 2020 registered a decline not because there was decrease in crime against the senior citizens but because of the nationwide lockdown imposed due to the covid-19 pandemic. Maharashtra registered highest number of crimes against senior citizens. Talking about metropolitan cities, Mumbai witnessed the highest number of crimes against senior citizens in 2018 (1043) and 2019 (1231). Delhi surpassed Mumbai in 2021 as it registered highest number of crimes (1166) while Mumbai registered 987 crimes. The NCRB data also suggested that Delhi was the only metropolitan city where cases of rape of senior citizens were registered. Four such cases were registered. In case of states, Maharashtra topped the chart in 2021 as it registered the highest number of cases of crime against senior citizens. Maharashtra registered 6,190 cases in 2021 followed by Madhya Pradesh (5,273), Telangana (1952) and Tamil Nadu (1841).
A large number of NGOs and other similar organizations have been working for the safety and protection of senior citizens but the central government and the state government need to take appropriate steps for the protection of elderly.
