The discovery was made around 8.30 am on the road leading to Unit No 32 in Aarey Colony. Acting on a tip-off to the police control room, a team from Aarey police station rushed to the spot, only to find a woman in her 60s or 70s lying helpless among piles of rotting garbage
The woman after being found in Aarey Colony; (left) the senior citizen undergoing treatment at Cooper Hospital. Pics/By Special Arrangement
In a gut-wrenching case that raises serious questions about humanity and family, a frail elderly woman battling advanced skin cancer was found in a garbage dump in Aarey Colony on Saturday morning. Left to die amidst waste and plastic, she had been reportedly dumped there by her own grandson.
The discovery was made around 8.30 am on the road leading to Unit No 32 in Aarey Colony. Acting on a tip-off to the police control room, a team from Aarey police station rushed to the spot, only to find a woman in her 60s or 70s lying helpless among piles of rotting garbage. She was dressed in a pink nightdress and a grey petticoat.
Her face bore a festering, untreated wound, likely caused by a severe form of skin cancer, and her cheeks and nose were visibly infected. The smell of infection and neglect lingered in the air, as officers were left stunned at her condition.
Hospitals turn her away
Constable Rathod and Woman Police Constable Nikita Kolekar immediately shifted the woman into a police van and rushed her to Jogeshwari Trauma Care Hospital. The hospital allegedly refused to admit her, citing a lack of facilities. The officers then took her to Cooper Hospital, where doctors again refused treatment after a cursory check-up, suggesting she be taken to a better-equipped facility.
The elderly woman undergoing treatment at Cooper Hospital
With the woman’s condition worsening and no hospital willing to admit her, the police kept trying. It wasn’t until nearly eight hours later, around 5.30 pm, that Cooper Hospital finally agreed to admit her. Senior Inspector Ravindra Patil personally coordinated with hospital staff while the two constables stayed by her side throughout the ordeal.
‘My grandson left me here’
In a faint, pain-stricken voice, the woman identified herself as Yashoda Gaikwad. She told police she used to live in Malad with her grandson — the same person who, she alleged, brought her to Aarey and dumped her beside the garbage that very morning.
“As soon as we got the call, our team rushed to the spot. Her condition was critical. But what followed was equally disturbing; the hospital turned her away multiple times. If police can show this much commitment to a stranger, why can’t government hospitals show some basic humanity?” said an officer from Aarey police station.
The search for her family
Despite her condition, Yashoda gave police two addresses, one in Malad and another in Kandivli. Police teams visited both locations and questioned residents, but no one could confirm her identity.
The roadside garbage dump in Aarey Colony, where the woman was discovered. Pics/By Special Arrangement
To trace her family, her photograph has been circulated across all Mumbai police stations. Officers are also scanning CCTV footage from every road and lane near Aarey to determine how she was brought to the location. Unfortunately, there is no surveillance camera near the garbage dump itself.
“We are doing our best to trace her relatives. But as of now, no leads have emerged. We appeal to the public, if anyone recognises her, don't hesitate to get in touch with Aarey police station,” said Senior Inspector Ravindra Patil.
Cooper Hospital statement
Dr Sudhir Medhekar, Dean of Cooper Hospital, confirmed that the woman had been admitted. “She was brought in by Aarey police and identified herself as Yashoda Gaikwad, 60. She is under the care of Dr NSG from the ENT department, with an ulceroproliferative growth on her nose and cheek.”
“Her vitals are currently stable, blood pressure 110/70, pulse 92/min, oxygen saturation 98 per cent, and blood sugar at 182 mg/dL. The provisional diagnosis is basal cell carcinoma,” he added.
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