Delhi HC asks DM to act on pending complaint by 95-year-old woman forcibly evicted by sons

In a heartbreaking update, a 95-year-old woman approached the Delhi High Court on Friday, seeking to expeditiously decide her pending application against forcible eviction by her sons, from the house of her late husband. Justice Rekha Palli on Tuesday directed District Magistrate East Delhi to decide the pending complaint within eight weeks after following the due procedure.

She had lodged the complaint against her sons on August 17 and the petition is currently pending before East Delhi's District Magistrate regarding her forcible and alleged illegal eviction by her sons, from the house left behind by her late husband. 

"The petition is, accordingly, disposed of by directing respondent no.1 (Delhi government) to decide the petitioner's pending complaint within a period of eight weeks from today after following the due procedure," the Court said.

"Needless to state, this Court has not expressed any opinion on the merits of the petitioner's claim. It is also made clear that, in case, the petitioner is aggrieved by any order passed by respondent no.1, it will be open for her to seek legal recourse as permissible in law," the court  further said.

The nonagenarian informed the Court that her husband passed away in April and after a few days her sons started torturing her and allegedly threw her out of the house. One of the daughters came to rescue her mother and filed a complaint on her behalf before East Delhi District Magistrate. 

SC Deprecates Practice Of States To Re-designate Old-age Homes As Halfway Homes

Meanwhile, in September, the Supreme Court had deprecated the practice by states of re-designating old-age homes and other custodial institutions as halfway homes for people who have been cured of mental illness saying it would not subserve the purpose of rehabilitation.

A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud, Vikram Nath and Hima Kohli said halfway homes and rehabilitation of the cured people must take place pro-actively across the country by the states/UTs and mere re-designating the existing facilities will not serve the purpose.

The top court noted that Maharashtra has decided to issue 186 persons who were overstaying in mental health care institutions to beggars’ homes or other custodial institutions. It said that after the issue was highlighted by the court in its previous order, a letter was written on July 21 by the chief secretary to expedite the process of shifting these persons from beggars home/old age home to halfway homes.