70-yr-old diabetic beaten for urinating in the open

GNN | Aug 23, 2018, 2:57 PM IST|

• Lack of public toilets forces elderly to urinate in open
• Growing incidents of intolerance in society

Ahmedabad, August 23, 2018. With the society becoming increasingly intolerant at large, one more incident of such intolerance has surfaced in Ahmedabad. A 70-year-old elderly man was beaten by a 20-year-old youth just because the elderly man could not control his urge to answer nature’s call and urinated in the open in the Chanakyapuri area of the city on Friday (August 17). The victim, 70-years-old Ashok Maru later approached the Sola Police and lodged a complaint on Tuesday (August 21).
GNN learns Maru told police that he had a full bladder when he was going from his tailor’s shop located near Chanakyapuri in the Ghatlodia area to his house located in Thaltej Gaam. Unable to control, Maru stood next to a wall and started urinating. Seeing this, a youth approached him from behind and started threatening and abusing him. When Maru objected to the threats and abuses, the youth procured a stick and started beating him mercilessly.
The Sola Police have booked Ghatlodia resident Vishal Desai, 20, for criminal assault, intimidation and uttering obscene words in public. Though Maru pleaded to Vishal to let him go, Vishal mercilessly rained the stick blows on Maru who suffered injuries on his shoulder and back.
Maru told the police he is a diabetic and of advanced age. “Because of this, I have to urinate frequently.” He added, “My shop is 5-km from my place in Thaltej but as there is no public toilet made by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) on that stretch, I relieve myself at an open place. On Friday, I did this for which I was assaulted.”
Inspector Gurpreet Singh Syan of Sola police station said the accused is yet to be arrested.