In a harrowing case of elder neglect in Mumbai’s Aarey Colony, 60-year-old Yashoda Gaikwad, a skin cancer patient from Hanuman Nagar, Kandivali, was found abandoned in a garbage pile on June 22. Discovered at 7 am by police, the frail woman suffered from facial wounds and infections. She was admitted to Cooper Hospital after multiple facilities refused her due to her critical condition.
Her grandson, Sagar Shewale, 33, initially claimed Yashoda left home voluntarily, citing her alleged aggression and mental health issues. CCTV footage exposed his lie, showing Sagar, his uncle, and an autorickshaw driver taking her to Shatabdi Hospital on June 21. After the hospital denied admission, they dumped her at 3:30 am on Dargah Road. Sagar confessed, citing frustration over her care and medical costs.
Charged under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (Section 125) for negligence and Section 24 of the Senior Citizens Act, the trio’s actions highlight the growing crisis of elder abandonment in India. Yashoda’s plight, sparking outrage, demands urgent systemic support for vulnerable senior women and accountability for caregivers.
