In yet another incident involving an elderly person in the city, a 62-year-old woman was smothered to death at her Mukherjee Nagar residence in North Delhi. The attackers took away property documents, leading the police to suspect that property was the motive. The police believe that the assailant was somebody close to the family.

There is a common threadrunning in all these murders: The victims were old, assailants were known to them, property or money was the motive.

Says Himanshu Rath, founder of Agewell Foundation, ``Old age comes to everybody. Still neglect of the elders is very common. The joint family system--with all its ills--guaranteed care, concern and attention for the elders. But with its break up, the old are feeling lonely today.''

He adds, ``The old often don't go anywhere. No one comes to see them. They feel cut off from what is happening around them. No one spends time with them or lets them participate in anything. They feel left out.''

Analysing further, he says, it is this loneliness that makes them easy targets for murderers. In most of the cases, it is a friendly entry. In Delhi itself, there are thousands of such families where the old are completely isolated. Just dying to talk to somebody, they allow total strangers into their homes, he adds.

While the Delhi Police has been claiming that they are planning to provideprotection to the old, it seems practically impossible, considering the number of such people in the city, says Rath.

He adds, ``That's where Agewell wishes to step in. The plan is to give people ways which are enabling. We constantly talk with the old people, on the helpline for elders. So far, we have received around 5,000 calls for help in various areas.''