HC berates irresponsible sons for deserting their aged parents

What's the point of being educated if you cannot take care your aged parents? is how the Karnataka High Court reacted while hearing a plea by men who had left their aged parents to fend for themselves.  

In one of the rare show of emotions, the High Court admonished the petitioners who had approached the court questioning the lower court order asking them to pay Rs 7,500 monthly to their aged parents.

Suresh (67), a retired driver of KSRTC from Kalaburagi is one of those parents who are neglected by their children. Suresh has three sons of which two of them - Veera Shetty and Lakshmikanth - are educated and well placed in the society. Another son is mentally challenged and stays with him. While Veerashetty works as a lecturer in Bengaluru with Rs 90,000 pay, Lakshmikanth is a driver with KSRTC and earns well too. His wife is a teacher, too.

With a meagre pension of Rs 1,951, Suresh had told the court that it was difficult for him to take care of his wife and mentally challenged son. He had appealed to the court seeking monetary help from his sons. The local court which heard his plea had asked the sons to Rs 1,700 as monthly to their parents. But the sons had challenged it in the high court.

Observing the petition, Justice B Veerappa wondered why children are educated when they don’t respect their parents and be for them in their sunset years. Such children are the reason for rising number of old age homes. Old age homes should be last resort of the elderly. These incidents reflect the society we live in, unfortunately, the judge observed.  

• karntaka high court