The unlicensed old-age home in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, has been sealed after a disturbing video of a 14-year-old boy beating elderly women with a stick went viral on social media. The shocking video triggered quick action by district authorities to check on the facility, move residents out, and launch legal action against its operator.
The incident happened at Premashray Old Age Home, under Banganga Police Station. The video, posted online on Wednesday, showed the teenage boy physically assaulting elderly female residents, and calls for a strict response were aired across social media.
After the video was released, officials led by Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Nidhi Verma took a surprise inspection of the facility. In their investigation, the old-age home was found to be operating without legal permission since 2022.
SDM Nidhi Verma said the organisation running the facility was registered only as a society and did not have the authorization to run an old-age home. So they closed the premises and filed a First Information Report (FIR) against the operator for running the institution illegally.
Authorities also moved all 31 elderly residents who were staying at the facility. Most of them were moved to government-recognised old-age homes operated by the Social Justice Department, and three residents who were in need of urgent medical help were admitted to a government hospital for treatment.
They also discovered that the facility was operating from a municipal corporation building constructed on government land. Now they are investigating how permission was given for the organisation to operate from public property even though it was not approved as such.
The 14-year-old boy who is now in custody also became a victim of the assault. The teen, who has no living parents, was found to have lived in the facility without legal permission, said officials. He has been reported to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and will be re-diagnosed and put through rehabilitation.
As for the allegations made by the home owner, Neelam Dubey, she said the teenager was emotionally disturbed. The boy had been staying at the home for almost a year, and his mother had died of a brain tumour about five months earlier, she said.
Dubey said one of the elderly residents had hit the boy in the head with a water bucket before the assault, and then he lost emotional control and attacked the residents with a stick. But authorities have not confirmed this version of events and continue to investigate the incident.
The case has raised serious questions about the regulation and monitoring of private elderly care facilities. Social activists and senior citizen welfare organizations have called for stricter inspections to make sure old-age homes comply with licensing requirements and maintain safe living conditions for residents.
Officials from the Social Justice Department will continue their investigation, and police will check for evidence and record statements from residents, staff members, and witnesses. There will be appropriate legal action taken against any violators or abusers, authorities said.
