Mumbai caretaker arrested after video shows brutal assault on elderly resident
A caretaker at a Mumbai senior care facility has been accused of tying a 75-year-old resident to a bed and assaulting her. The incident, which took place in March 2023, came to light after a video of the abuse circulated online. Police have since registered a case and launched an investigation into the facility's supervision practices.
The assault occurred on March 11, 2023, at a senior care foundation in Gorai-2, where the victim, identified as Vaishali A, had been residing for five months. The caretaker, Surekha Pawar, allegedly struck the elderly woman with a broom after growing frustrated with her repeated requests to use the washroom. The victim did not report the abuse immediately, fearing further harm, but later shared details with others, who then informed the authorities.
A video of the incident later surfaced on social media, prompting public outrage. Mumbai Police registered an FIR against Pawar under charges of voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means. Officers detained her for questioning and issued a notice requiring her cooperation with the investigation. Authorities are now reviewing the facility's operations to determine whether supervision failures contributed to the incident. While national data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) shows around 1,200–1,500 cases of elder abuse annually in India, with Maharashtra accounting for 200–300, no official records specify how many such cases have occurred in Mumbai's nursing homes over the past two years.
The case has raised concerns about the safety of elderly residents in care facilities. Police continue to investigate both the assault and the facility's oversight procedures. The outcome of the probe may lead to stricter monitoring of senior care homes in the city.
