Karnataka draft bill proposes 2-year jail, Rs1 lakh fine for abandoning senior citizens

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Oct 31, 2026: The Karnataka government has drafted a Bill aimed at protecting senior citizens from abuse, neglect and abandonment, proposing imprisonment of up to two years and a fine of ₹1 lakh for those found guilty of abandoning elderly persons.

A 12-member expert committee, which reviewed the draft Karnataka Protection of Senior Citizens from Abuse and Neglect Bill, 2025, has recommended making abandonment a non-bailable offence punishable with up to three years in prison.

Currently, Karnataka does not have a separate law to address these issues and relies on the existing central legislation, implemented through the Karnataka Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Rules.

Sources in the Department for the Empowerment of Differently Abled and Senior Citizens said the expert committee, comprising representatives from the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority, police department and NGOs, has submitted its recommendations.

The proposed legislation covers various aspects of senior citizens’ safety, security and fundamental rights. It includes provisions for penalties for abuse and neglect, grievance redressal mechanisms in caregiving institutions and technological interventions, areas not comprehensively addressed under the existing rules.

" It was imperative to have a Bill that extensively covered all aspects related to senior citizens because the rules (2007) are not holistic," a departmental official said.

The proposed legislation comes amid a reported increase in crimes against senior citizens in Karnataka. According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, the state recorded 4,247 cases in 2024, compared to 1,840 in 2023 and 1,583 in 2022.

The department has also proposed setting up a 13-member committee to examine the financial implications of the provisions in the Bill.

Amendments to Existing Rules

In August this year, the state government informed the Karnataka High Court that the State Law Commission’s 73rd report recommending amendments to the Senior Citizens Rules was under active consideration.

While the department is working on the amendments, it remains unclear whether the proposed changes will be incorporated into the new Bill.

On whether the draft legislation would be tabled during the 2027 Budget Session, a departmental source indicated that this was unlikely.

"Once we get the opinion of all departments, we have to finalise the draft and again send it to the Law Department for vetting. Then the Cabinet has to pass it... so all these procedures are there and it is highly unlikely (to table the draft Bill during the Budget session)," the source said.

The Bill may instead be introduced during the June-July session of the Assembly.

Meanwhile, the Kerala Assembly recently passed the Senior Citizens’ (Care and Protection of Rights) Bill, 2026.