Locked away and left to languish: 39 elderly rescued from abusive Noida shelter home

Noida: A horrifying case of elder abuse has emerged from Noida’s Sector 55, where 39 senior citizens were rescued from a privately run shelter, Anand Niketan Vridha Ashram, after distressing visuals of their inhumane conditions went viral on social media.

The viral clip, reportedly recorded by a whistleblower, showed an elderly woman lying on a filthy floor with her hands tied, confined in a dark, suffocating room. The footage prompted swift action from the Uttar Pradesh State Women’s Commission and Noida police, who raided the facility on Friday — only to uncover what officials have described as a “house of horror”.

Inside the ashram, officials found elderly men and women locked in rooms reeking of urine and faeces. Some residents were stripped of dignity and clothes; others were tied up and left without access to toilets or basic care.

“People were living in conditions worse than animals,” said Meenakshi Bharala, a member of the Women’s Commission who led the inspection. “The men were shut in makeshift basement cells, completely naked and covered in filth. The women were barely clothed, unattended, and neglected. No human being deserves this.”

What made the situation more alarming was the complete absence of trained staff or medical oversight. A woman claiming to be the in-house nurse confessed she had only studied up to Class 12 and had no formal medical training. There were no registered doctors, no scheduled health checks, and no system to manage meals or medicines.

Despite charging families hefty amounts — a one-time “donation” of Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 6,000 per month per inmate — the management had left the elderly to suffer in squalor.The revelations have triggered massive outrage across civil society. Sushanto Ghosh, secretary of Bondhu Mahal, a Lucknow-based NGO, said, “This is systemic elder abuse. It’s a betrayal — by the caretakers and by the families who dumped them here. We call on the government to take over the running of such facilities and ensure no other elder is treated like this. Bondhu Mahal is ready to step in for rehabilitation.”

Authorities have filed a case against the management of Anand Niketan under charges of wrongful confinement, criminal negligence, and cruelty. Plans are underway to transfer the rescued residents to a government-run senior care centre, where they will receive medical treatment, food, and clean shelter.

In response to the public outrage, the Social Welfare Department has begun urgent screening of all private old-age homes in the Gautam Buddh Nagar district. Officials indicated that inspections will be expanded state-wide.