Court frees 76-year-old woman tortured by daughter, detained in old age home

An elder sister of a 76-year-old woman, filed an application seeking direction that the helpless senior citizen be set free from the old age home 'Nai Duniya' run by an NGO 'Helping Brainz' in East Delhi. Reportedly, police rescued the old woman in February this year from the clutches of her daughter, following which she was sent to an old age home without her consent. A Delhi court has set her free from the forceful detention.

New Delhi:A 76-year-old woman, who had been subjected to torture, abuse and confinement by her daughter, followed by 'forceful' detention in an old age home, has now been set free with the intervention of a Delhi Court.

After being rescued by the police, from the clutches of her daughter in February, this year, the woman was sent to an old age home in East Delhi without her consent.

The ordeal of the elderly woman came to light, when her sister filed an application in the court, seeking a direction that the helpless senior citizen is set free, forthwith.

She told the court that she had approached the old age home 'Nai Duniya' run by an NGO 'Helping Brainz' to release the woman, but its manager flatly refused.

When she approached the SHO of Amar Colony police station in South Delhi to intervene, he reportedly asked her to file an application regarding this in the court.

The issue came up before Metropolitan Magistrate Manisha Khurana Kakkar and the woman was produced in the court on June 7. The victim reportedly expressed her willingness to reside with her sister, a doctor.

The magistrate asked few questions to the woman about her residence and relatives and found that she was giving satisfactory answers and appeared to be in a fit state of mind.

The court said that she was at liberty to go with her elder sister as she was an adult and a free citizen. The magistrate also directed the SHO to take care of senior citizens in such matters in future.

Manager of the Old Age Home has also been apprised of the fact that he cannot retain any old person in the facility once such a senior citizen has expressed his/her willingness to leave the same.

"The applicant (sister) has also expressed her willingness to take her sister to her house. She is at liberty to do so," the court said in its June 7 order.

The victim had told her sister that she was rescued by the police after being informed about it by a passer-by.

The woman had said that the rescue was the outcome of gross negligence, abuse and torture inflicted allegedly by her daughter, with whom she was residing in Dayanand Colony in Lajpat Nagar.

As per the victim, her daughter had confined her at the house for six months and was not allowing her to go out or have food.

An FIR was lodged against the daughter.

The court was informed by the woman's sister that when she had gone to meet her in the old age home, she was found to be in a pathetic condition and had been forcibly kept there against her wishes.

The elder sister said that she had sufficient means to take care of her sister and desirous of keeping her at her residence here.