Cheated by brother, Jethani had stopped trusting everyone

NEW DELHI:“I stopped stepping out of my house because I did not trust the world outside,” 90-year-old Govind Jethani told HT from a hospital bed on Wednesday.

NEW DELHI:“I stopped stepping out of my house because I did not trust the world outside,” 90-year-old Govind Jethani told HT from a hospital bed on Wednesday.

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Jethani was taken to the hospital on Monday, after he spent four days with his dead wife Gopi’s body at their Kalkaji residence. On Wednesday, Jethani seemed not to recall anything from the past week. When HT asked him about his wife, the frail-looking man questioned his nephew about Gopi.

“I am old and avoid stepping out even to the verandah. If my bones break at this age, it will take a really long time to heal. My neighbours and relatives will harm me if they see an old couple without a family,” the man said

Jethani said his only source of income was old-age assistance pension provided by the Delhi government. “We ate only bread and milk. I have my own house and I will not sell it,” he said.

Police suspect Gopi may have died of old age and malnourishment. On Monday evening, hours after Gopi’s body was found, police traced Jethani’s nephew, Narinder. Jethani was then admitted to the Sukhmani hospital in Safdarjung Enclave.

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He said Jethani, who once lived in a joint family, has relatives but no one has come forward to help him. “I visited him sometimes but he chose not to meet anyone. I helped him with money. I tried to persuade him to get a maid, but he refused.”

JETHANI’S STORY – HE WAS ONCE WELL-TO-DO

Till the 1970s, Jethani, the eldest among three siblings was rich and owned a shop and a house at the Sarojini Nagar market. He also ran a parking contract outside the Ajmer station.

His younger brother, Roopchand,75, said that Jethani had helped his siblings settle in Delhi. The three brothers lived together, but then there was property dispute in ’70s. One of the brothers allegedly usurped the house and shop from Jethani and Roopchand.