BENGALURU: In what the Karnataka govt Sunday described as a “shocking and inhumane trend”, more than 150 cases of deserted senior citizens were reported at Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences (BIMS), with over 100 similar cases in other medical institutions across the state.

Pointing out that elderly parents are being abandoned in govt medical college hospitals by their children, often after transferring property rights to their offspring, a statement from the office of medical education minister Sharan Prakash Patil called for “cancellation of wills and property transfers executed by abandoned parents in favour of their children”.
Parents say kids desert them in hospitals where food is assured
Last Wednesday, revenue minister Krishna Byre Gowda told the legislative council that there are provisions the Senior Citizens Act, 2007, to deprive inheritance rights of children who neglect or abandon their parents.
“During a recent review meeting at Vikasa Soudha, the director of BIMS raised this distressing issue with the minister, who, deeply concerned, directed the director of medical education (DME), Dr BL Sujatha Rathod, to alert all institute heads and lodge complaints with assistant commissioners (revenue sub-division) to take action against the children responsible,” Sunday’s statement read.
As per Patil’s statement, many abandoned parents stated their children had deserted them in hospitals, knowing they would receive food, clothing and shelter. While some cite economic hardships, most cases involve elderly individuals being left behind after transferring their properties to their children.
“To support these abandoned seniors, BIMS authorities have arranged shelter in retirement homes in and around Belagavi for 70 senior citizens, while many others still remain in hospitals,” the statement read, adding Patil emphasised that medical institute directors must file complaints to ensure that assistant commissioners take action under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007.
It pointed out that many people were unaware of this law, which mandates that children or relatives must provide financial and medical support to senior citizens. “If they fail to do so, parents have the legal right to cancel property transfers made in favour of their children,” Patil was quoted as saying.
The statement said that as per Section 23 of the Act, if children neglect or abandon their parents after inheriting property, the law allows the cancellation of wills or property transfers, restoring ownership to the elderly parents.
Earlier, Gowda, who read out the provisions of the act to the house, said: “Assistant commissioners (ACs) have been empowered to deal with such cases. At present, we are conducting monthly review meetings with ACs to address such complaints.”