Madras High Court Directs Tamil Nadu Govt to Compensate Seniors for Unrecovered Scammed Valuables

Rapid Summary

• The Madras high Court suggested compensating senior citizens, who fall victim to conmen, a minimum of 30% of the lost valuables or ₹5 lakh (whichever is lesser) from the Victim Compensation Fund if culprits remain untraceable.
• Justice D.Bharatha Chakravarthy stated that scams targeting elderly individuals are increasing and emphasized their mental suffering due to such crimes.
• Observations were made during a case involving P. Krishnaveni (68), duped in 2018 of 17.5 sovereigns of gold jewelry by conmen posing as policemen; investigation remains untraceable despite police efforts.
• Existing tamil Nadu Victim Compensation Scheme set in 2013 caps compensation at ₹1 lakh; the judge recommended updating compensation figures due to increased costs and its inadequacy today.
• The petitioner was awarded ₹4 lakh (30% value) as compensation, with directives for submission assistance and payment within 12 weeks via demand draft or bank transfer. She may need to return this sum if the theft case is later resolved.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The Madras High Court’s ruling underscores both empathy toward vulnerable senior citizens and structural gaps in crime resolution and victim support systems within India’s law enforcement mechanisms. While legislative updates like the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) focus on citizen protection, operational hurdles-such as prolonged unresolved cases-undermine public trust in investigative processes.the suggestion for enhanced compensation reflects inflationary realities but also indicates growing societal awareness about crime impact on marginalized demographics such as elderly individuals living independently or with limited security measures. However, ensuring fairness requires systemic improvements in case tracking rather than prioritizing financial payouts alone.

This appeal highlights broader implications: balancing monetary relief through schemes like Victim Compensation Funds with stronger deterrence strategies against crimes targeting senior citizens nationwide could prove vital for public safety policies.

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