Cops act promptly, register 64-yr-old

Retired DRDO scientist A.N. Agrawal (64) and his 63-year-old wife, Draupadi, have finally got themselves registered with the Mumbai Police’s database on senior citizens.

Retired Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) scientist A.N. Agrawal (64) and his 63-year-old wife, Draupadi, have finally got themselves registered with the Mumbai Police’s database on senior citizens.

HT Image

A policeman visited Agrawal at his coaching centre in Dadar on Thursday evening with registration forms and filled in his and his wife’s particulars.

Hindustan Times had, on July 10, reported how Agrawal had tried calling the police Elderline, 1090, a number of times to get himself registered but was met with a cold response. At first, nobody answered the phone and when someone did, he was told to call back the next day.

In the course of doing the report, this correspondent had called Mumbai police commissioner D. Sivanandhan, who expressed concern over the matter and assured action. Hours after the call was made, police visited Agrawal’s home and got him registered.

Agrawal had written to HT after reading its two-part series (June 28 and 29) on how senior citizens in Mumbai feel unsafe.

He wanted to get himself registered because the recent spate of attacks on senior citizens had left him feeling insecure.

“I am grateful to the police for their prompt response,” said Agrawal. “My job got done because you (HT) took the initiative. I hope the police are as prompt with other senior citizens too.”

Agrawal said he requested Tayde, when the latter called him, to enable senior citizens to register themselves online.

Agrawal and his ailing wife live with their son and daughter-in-law. His wife is often alone at home as his son goes to work and the daughter-in-law steps out for household chores.

Mumbai has seen at least 10 attacks on senior citizens this year.