Chinna Thambi and his wife Kamalam always make it a point to keep their flat’s door locked, even on summer’s sultry days. If anyone knocks the door, Kamalam never opens it without first making an enquiry through the window adjacent to the door.
The couple, staying alone at Zacharia Colony in Kodambakkam, has been this extra cautious after a lonely elderly man in neighbouring Choolaimedu was killed during the day time allegedly to rob a small amount of gold jewellery. “Since we heard about the incident from neighbours, the first thing that struck us was that the murderer could choose us any day. We too have no one to protect us,” says Chinna Thambi.
The elderly couple’s fear was shared by many such couples in the city who have to live alone because of various compulsions. The main reason for crimes is the little resistance the elderly can put up, making them easy targets.
Police officers say in the majority of cases, the criminals get acquainted to the victims. The latest victim was G Nirmala (67), a resident of Ambattur, who was killed on April 7 for a 5-sovereign gold chain she was wearing.
Later, police probe revealed that the suspect, Vinod, a car driver, visited the house previously in the guise of checking out a portion of the house that the couple wanted to rent out.
“In 99 per cent of the cases, the culprit was either a well-acquainted person like a relative, family friend or someone who recently got introduced to the victim. In many cases, the loot was little and the culprit just wanted to get quick money to buy drugs or alcohol,” informs a senior police officer in the city.
The city police are launching schemes for the elders. Now, elders residing alone can contact the police and get their phone numbers registered with the local police station. The police also help them store the patrol beat officers’ number on speed dial.
But the effectiveness of such measures being effective is a question mark. S Veliappan (89), who was residing alone at Choolaimedu, was killed in broad daylight just a few days after a patrol team visited him, as he was listed as a lonely elderly resident.
“The police cannot prevent every incident. Two things have to be ensured by family: security like grilled doors and ensuring they do not have many valuables at home,” says a police inspector.