Mumbai News: 70-Year-Old Woman Found Abandoned In Aarey Jungle Garbage Heap; Grandson Booked Under Senior Citizens Act

Mumbai: A 70-year-old ailing woman was found lying in a garbage heap along the roadside near Unit 32 in Aarey Colony, Goregaon, triggering a police investigation that led to her grandson being booked for abandoning her.

The woman, identified as Yashoda Gaikwad, was severely injured and suffering from a serious skin condition. She told police that her grandson had left her there that very morning.

The Aarey Police registered an FIR against Sagar Shewale (33), the grandson, under Section 24 of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act and Section 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Shewale, who works as an office boy in Andheri, lives with his wife and 11-year-old son in Hanuman Nagar, Kandivali.

On Saturday morning around 8 a.m., police received information about an elderly woman lying helpless by the roadside in Aarey. After being rescued, she identified herself and stated that her grandson had abandoned her there. She was rushed to Cooper Hospital for treatment.

Police tracked down her family based on her photograph and confirmed her residence in Kandivali. Upon questioning, Shewale denied abandoning her and claimed she had left the house on her own while he and his wife were at work and the children were at school.

The Aarey Police, however, doubted his version. “It is implausible for a severely ill woman to walk such a long distance from Kandivali to Aarey on her own,” said Senior Inspector Ravindra Patil. Police began reviewing CCTV footage from the area, which reportedly captured Sagar Shewale accompanying his grandmother toward the location where she was later found.

An official investigation is ongoing, with a special team scanning surveillance footage to establish the sequence of events. The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission has taken cognizance of the matter and instructed police and civic authorities to submit a detailed report.

Several NGOs have expressed willingness to support and care for Yashoda Gaikwad during her recovery. She remains under medical supervision at Cooper Hospital.