An elderly woman died during treatment at the hospital after she was dumped by her own family members in a critical condition in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya late on Thursday night, police said on Friday. The incident has sparked widespread outrage with people seeking tough action against the culprits.
The police had rushed the woman to hospital, believed to be in her late 70s or early 80s, after the locals alerted them about her condition.
CCTV footage obtained from the spot showed two women, helped by an e-rickshaw driver, dropping the woman by the roadside in the Kishun Daspur area in the dead of the night.
According to the police, CCTV footage clearly showed the two women dropping an unconscious elderly woman, who was visibly frail and fragile due to illness, on the roadside after ferrying her in an e-rickshaw.
After leaving her there, the duo fled the spot without offering any help or informing authorities.
The victim was found to be in a serious condition and unable to speak. She could not even identify herself when the locals sought to know who she was and where she lived.
Moments later, locals alerted the police, who reached the spot and rushed the woman to Darshannagar Medical College, where she underwent treatment as doctors said that her condition remained critical. She later died during treatment.
Police have launched a probe and are closely examining CCTV footage to ascertain the identities of the two women and the e-rickshaw driver involved. Efforts are also being made to establish the elderly woman’s identity with the help of nearby residents.
A senior police officer stated, "Our priority is to save the woman’s life. Identifying and taking action against those responsible is equally important. We are confident the people seen in the footage will be traced soon".
The incident has sparked outrage across the region, highlighting concerns about the treatment of elderly people within families.
Local authorities have appealed to the public to come forward with any information that could help identify the woman or those responsible for abandoning her.
Police have assured that strict legal action will be taken against those found guilty. Further investigation into the matter is underway.
Source: India Today