THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An irresponsible move in not providing enough protection to a 70-year-old Alzheimer’s patient has shaken public’s trust on law enforcers.
Babu Mathew, who hails from Kalamassery in Ernakulam district, went missing from an old age home at Edathala near Aluva on October 18. He was spotted by Nizar Mohammed, a journalist, at a tea shop near Press Club here on Friday standing in heavy rain. He was sick and frail. The scribe took him to the nearby Cantonment police station and returned to his work place trusting that the cops will do the needful. Instead, they pushed him back into the streets after handing him some money.
Their callous attitude came to light when a photo posted by the scribe’s friend went viral and Mathew’s family members along with neighbours arrived at the police station seeking him.
“We never thought that the police will handle the issue so lightly. We had lodged a man missing complaint on Sunday and this information had been passed on to all the police stations. We also checked the Medical College Hospital, General hospital and other hospitals. We had also alerted the bus and railway stations,” said Joycy, Mathew’s neighbour.
He added that they had been searching for Mathew for over 48 hours and finally turned back on Monday evening.In a facebook post, which had gone viral, Syed Shiyaz Mirza, a technology writer and freelance photographer, said, “The inhuman attitude of the policemen baffled us. We will be on tenterhooks until we find Mathew.”
In his post, Mirza also pointed out the lack of direction in our system.
A serious lapse: Legal experts
Legal procedure is in place when dealing with such persons, say experts. As per Mental Health Act 1987, police should produce ailing old persons found abandoned on the streets before the magistrate.
The law states: “An act to consolidate and amend the law relating to the treatment and care of mentally ill persons, to make better provision with respect to them and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto”.
The law aims for social inclusion of persons suffering from mental illness by emphasising that treatment is to be provided in a way which enables them to live with their families. The law requires parity of mental health services with physical health services, for example, provision of ambulance services, the quality of facilities and provision of medical insurance.
“Mathew is not mentally ill, but has Alzheimer’s. Since this disease is also debilitating, the cops could have at least kept him at the station till his kin came for him. The cops have made as serious lapse,” a legal expert told T’Puram Express.
Cops were unaware
Meanwhile, when contacted, K E Baiju, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Cantonment, he denied the allegations.
“The story about police inaction is absolutely false. We had uploaded his photo in our WhatsApp group. Our beat officers who spotted him roaming around had enquired about his whereabouts. But he told them that his house is nearby and requested some cash for bus fare. The policemen and the auto drivers collected some money which they gave him. We didn’t know that he was suffering from Alzheimer’s. Efforts are on to trace him. All police stations, railway and bus stations have been alerted,” said Baiju.
Babu Mathew had been residing at the old age home at Aluva after his wife, Mariamma, became ill. She is bed-ridden and is being looked after by her younger sister. Mathew too had suffered a stroke in the past. He and his wife had been residing in Mumbai for a long time. He has rented out an autorickshaw which is said to be the only source of income for the family.