Crime teams train lens on robbers targeting senior citizens

After more than 10 cases of robberies in which senior citizens were targeted over the last two months, the police formed four crime teams to identify the gangs, following requests from senior citizens.

After more than 10 cases of robberies in which senior citizens were targeted over the last two months, the police formed four crime teams to identify the gangs, following requests from senior citizens.

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KK Rao, the commissioner of police, said that senior citizens living alone are soft targets and it is unlikely they would resist a robbery attempt. “We have formed four crime teams who are scanning CCTV footage of the areas from where cases were reported. We have found some leads and teams will question a few motorbike mechanics in this regard,” he said.

Despite several steps taken by the police to curb crimes against senior citizens, at least one incident of robbery is reported in a month. The police also prepared sketches based on the robbery victims’ descriptions.

On June 18, two armed men allegedly, on the pretext of renting a room, robbed a 72-year-old woman of cash, jewellery and other valuable items at her residence. The woman, Omwati Yadav, was held captive for over two hours. On July 1, four unidentified men held an elderly couple in Sector 10 captive for over one hour, assaulted them, and robbed them of cash and jewellery worth ₹10 lakh between 2pm and 3pm.

Fraudsters are also engaging in cybercrimes by calling senior citizens on the pretext of offering Covid-19 vaccinations and asking for their personal details, posing as officials from medical institutes.

The police said they are alerting senior citizens not to fall prey to such callers. “We have alerted them not to share OTP or other sensitive details,” said Rao.

“We have taken several initiatives for the safety of senior citizens from time to time. Last year, we had started sending teams from the nearest police stations to meet the elderly people, and also to introduce beat officers concerned for further communications. The police (from the nearest station) also texted and called them regularly to ensure their well-being,” Rao said.