Cops rescue elderly, ill woman deserted by kin

KOLKATA: An 80-year-old ailing woman, who was allegedly abandoned by her family members, was rescued by the police at Tajpur in East Midnapore on Thursday. The police admitted her to the Digha State General Hospital. According to sources, people in Jamra-Shyampur in Tajpur spotted the woman sitting on the ground beside the marine drive and crying.

As she was seemingly ill, a rumour spread that she was a Covid patient and thus her family members abandoned her.

Believing the rumour, none of the locals went near the woman. At night, cops from Mandarmoni Coastal police station rescued the woman wearing PPE suits and admitted her to the Digha State General Hospital.

On Friday, her Covid test was conducted. It was found that the woman was not infected with Covid.

The woman was identified as Geeta Das, a resident of Shyambazar area. Das was living with her niece Swapna Chakraborty at Hridaypur area of North 24-Parganas district after her husband passed away a few years back. Police, however, are trying to trace her niece.