Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh and Telangana combined have ranked second in the country in crimes against senior citizens this year. The figures available till October 2014 revealed that 1,856 criminal cases were booked in both states in which senior citizens were victims.

Maharashtra topped the country with 2,257 cases followed by united Andhra Pradesh, according to statistics of the ministry of home affairs. Officials are expecting that the numbers would go up by the end of the year.

While statistics reveal that senior citizens are in danger, the police of both states have ignored the MHA advisory regarding the same. Identification of senior citizens under each police station’s jurisdiction, regular visit by beat cops, setting up of toll-free numbers for seniors, setting up of a senior citizen security cell, which were all part of the MHA advisory, were not taken up by the cops. Also, National Crime Records Bureau data on crimes committed against senior citizens are not maintained centrally.

“NCRB collects state-wise data on persons aged above 50 years who were victims of murder, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, rape and kidnapping and abduction. State governments were advised to take immediate measures to ensure safety and security and to eliminate forms of neglect, abuse and violence against old persons through initiatives,” said an MHA official.

According to a study conducted by Anindya J. Mishra and Avanish Bhai Patel of Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, “The proportion of elderly persons in India has risen from 5.63 per cent of the total population in 1961 to 7.44 per cent in 2011. There are various major factors regarding crime that affects the elderly. These factors include location of residence, previous victimisation experience, vulnerability and defensibility.”

The fact that the offenders are found to be the ones the elderly had relied on is ominous signal.” In the study it was found that 42.94 per cent of cases of crime have been committed by unknown persons, while the rest were by known persons or were accidental crimes.