For these Bengalureans, property turns into a curse

Bengaluru's Elders Helpline and intervention centre is witnessing increasing complaints by elders being subjected to harassment by their children over property matters. 

 

The charges, ranging from confinement to starvation, have all been on the rise.   

 

Sandhya,  Senior Counselor, Elders Helpline, said, "The number of harassment complaints has increased this year. The trend is changing this year. In most of the cases of harassment by family members, children do not look after their parents properly because of the property issues and many other reasons."

 

This year so far, 188 complaints of harassment on elders by family members were recorded. In 2015, 151 complaints were registered, and 168  complaints were registered in 2014. 

 

An example was shared with Asianet Newsable. Dharma (name changed), a senior citizen, had filed a complaint against his son and daughter-in-law. 

 

"Dharma was not given food on time. The son and daughter use to leave him alone in the room and go out to meet friends and turn up late on weekends. The complainant said all this was being done to exert pressure on him to write the property in their name," said a counsellor.

 

In another case, a senior citizen was being forced by his son to pay the grandchildren's school fees and constantly harassed mentally. 

 

The counsellor recalled that in one instance, a senior citizen was verbally abused by his son after he transferred his property. 

 

"The son and daughter in law were very nice and made the senior citizen believe that they will take care of him. But once the gift deed was executed, the treatment to elder person changed," said another counsellor. 

 

The authorities handling the Elders Helpline are now educating those who approach them to place a few conditions before making a property gift deed.