Saturday, December 14, 2019

Owner of home for the elderly cheats inmate

Cops Rescue Woman, 79, Register Case

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:14.12.2019

Police have registered a case against the owner of a private home for the elderly at Teynampet after a 79-year-old woman who was staying there for the last one year alleged that she was cheated out of her money, jewellery and property.

The woman, M L Srivaran, was rescued from Selvi Memorial Home Society recently after she complained to the city corporation’s coordinator for shelter homes, Asha, on one of her visits there. Srivaran has been shifted to another home at Mogappair.

In her complaint to the Teynampet police, Srivaran said that soon after she went to live at Selvi Memorial Home in December 2018, the owner, Mary Thomas, sweet-talked her into revealing all details about her bank accounts and other property. When Srivaran fell ill, Mary Thomas took care of her but a few days later took her in an autorickshaw to the TNSC bank in Anna Nagar and made her withdraw cash and take gold jewellery from her locker saying she had spent a few lakhs of rupees on the medical treatment.

Srivaran complained that Mary took her to the bank branch thrice and made her take all her gold jewellery from the locker. Srivaran alleged that Mary also removed her gold jewellery from the PNB locker. Srivaran said Mary also took away the original registration documents of her house and forced her to assign power of attorney to a man named Vinayagam to sell her property. They also decamped with all the valuables from her house in Anna Nagar, Srivaran said.

Whenever corporation officials visited the home for inspection, Mary gave some medication to Srivaran and she blacked out, the elderly woman told police. Sometimes, she threatened her and asked her to pretend she was sleeping. On one occasion when Asha came to the home, Srivaran got a chance to reveal her plight and was rescued.

Srivaran and her husband retired from Punjab National Bank (PNB) and were living at their home in Anna Nagar. After her husband died of illness in 1995, Srivaran continued to stay alone at the house till 2018.

Srivaran told police that she would contact Kannagi, a friend who had retired from TNSC bank, whenever she needed something or wanted to chat with someone. In December 2018, Srivaran tried to reach Kannagi, but got no response. She then contacted a social activist after seeing her article in a newspaper and sought her help. The woman informed the Anna Nagar police and, through them, Srivaran got admission to the Selvi Memorial Home in Teynampet.


Whenever corporation officials visited the home for an inspection, Mary gave some medication to Srivaran and she blacked out, the elderly woman told police. Sometimes, she threatened her and told her to pretend she was sleeping

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