Bengaluru, July 25 -- In a significant direction aimed at strengthening the welfare of elderly citizens, the Karnataka High Court has asked both the State and Central governments to frame a comprehensive law for the protection, care and rehabilitation of abandoned and neglected senior citizens.

The proposed legislation, the court said, should be modelled on the provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and provide legal safeguards for vulnerable elderly persons.

Justice Suraj Govindaraj, while hearing a petition concerning the medical emergency of an elderly woman, observed that senior citizens who are abandoned, neglected or subjected to abuse require institutional protection through a dedicated legal fra...