Govt eases norms for senior citizens to boot heirs out of their property

Elderly parents can now throw out their abusive and greedy children from a “self-acquired” home by simply complaining to the deputy commissioner, rather than going to police or filing a lawsuit which is a time-sapping process.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government amended the Delhi maintenance and welfare of parents and senior citizens rules, 2009, allowing senior citizens to approach the area deputy commissioner with complaints against children.

“If the DC finds that the son, daughter or legal heir of a senior citizen is not caring for him or illtreating him, and yet occupying his self-acquired property, a notice will be issued to the accused party. The son or heir will get a chance to explain which, if found unsatisfactory, will lead to an eviction notice,” an official said.

Before the Delhi government amended the rules, aggrieved parents could approach police to file a criminal complaint against any torture or ill-treatment by their children, or go to a civil court for justice.

But the judicial process is painfully slow as Indian courts are saddled with a backlog of millions of cases, officials said. It takes a court five to 10 years to reach judgment.

The amended rules put the responsibility on deputy commissioners to verify an elderly parent’s complaint and evict a son or daughter within 21 days.