MP: Viral abuse video triggers crackdown on illegal old-age home in Indore, 31 elderly shifted
Indore: The Indore district administration has sealed an illegally operated old-age home and shifted all its 31 elderly residents to government-recognised shelters after a viral video showing an elderly woman being beaten with a stick by a minor sparked outrage and exposed serious irregularities in the running of the facility.
The action was taken on Thursday after Collector Shivam Verma ordered an inquiry into the old-age home, operated under the name Maharana Pratap Welfare Society near the Marimata water tank.
A joint team comprising officials from the district administration, the Social Justice Department and the Women and Child Development Department inspected the premises and found that the home was functioning without the required permission.
Malharganj Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Nidhi Verma said the inquiry revealed that the old-age home was being run illegally.
“A video of the old-age home went viral on social media on Wednesday. Following the Collector’s directions, officials from the Social Justice Department, the Women and Child Development Department and the administration inspected the facility,” Verma told IANS.
She said the home was being managed by the old-age home operator Neelam Dubey and her team.
“The land has not been officially allotted for running an old-age home. According to government records, it is registered in the name of the superintendent,” she said, adding that proceedings have been initiated to seal the premises and register an FIR.
Officials said that all rooms at the facility have been sealed.
Elderly residents in stable condition are being shifted to the Nirashrit Ashram and Ganesh Old Age Home in Gandhinagar, while those needing medical care have been admitted to a government hospital.
The video shows the boy repeatedly hitting an elderly woman with a stick and pushing away those who tried to stop him.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Rubina Mijwani said the boy seen assaulting the elderly woman in the viral video had been staying at the old-age home for the past five months after arriving there with his mother, who later died of burn injuries.
Neelam Dubey claimed that she was not present when the incident occurred.
“On Guru Purnima, I served food to the residents and went for my meal. Later, I was informed that the boy had hit an elderly woman with a stick. He told me she had first hit him on the head with a tub, after which he retaliated,” Dubey told IANS.