The Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of the "deeply disturbing" condition of a 96-year-old man and his 86-year-old wife, allegedly abandoned and neglected by their son in Gurugram, and has issued urgent directives to the local authorities for immediate intervention.
The elderly couple resides in a residential apartment in Gurugram, where, according to complaints submitted by residents and the local residents’ association, they have been left in severe neglect. The couple is reportedly dependent on two untrained female attendants and lacks adequate medical care or supervision.
The complaint further alleges that the elderly man is frequently heard crying out in pain, causing emotional distress to his wife and disturbing other senior residents in the area. Despite multiple appeals to the son and the local authorities, no substantial help had been provided, prompting the Commission's intervention "to uphold their basic human rights and dignity".
HHRC Chairperson Justice Lalit Batra expressed serious concern over the prolonged mental and physical suffering of the couple, terming it a gross violation of Article 21 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to live with dignity. Indifferent sounds of pain and despair coming from the apartment day and night cannot be ignored as mere "private matters." Society and the State have a shared responsibility to intervene when the elderly couple are deprived of due care and dignity, Justice Batra observed in his May 29 order.
Citing the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, Justice Batra underscored the state’s responsibility under Section 20 to ensure healthcare and welfare of the elderly. If intentional abandonment is established, the Commission noted, criminal liability under Section 24 of the Act may be invoked against the responsible party.
In his order dated May 29, Justice Batra directed the Gurugram Deputy Commissioner to form a multidisciplinary Medical and Welfare Committee. The team, comprising the Gurugram Commissioner of Police, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Civil Surgeon, and the District Social Welfare Officer (also designated as the Maintenance Officer under the Act), has been tasked with visiting the couple’s residence for a thorough assessment of their physical, emotional, and social well-being.
The Commission has ordered the committee to submit a detailed status report and a long-term care or rehabilitation plan by the next hearing, scheduled for July 3, 2025.
Dr. Puneet Arora, Protocol and Public Relations Officer of the HHRC, affirmed that strict compliance is expected from all concerned departments and that further action will be based on the findings of the field report.
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