Paliyana: In a major relief under the Senior Citizens Act, 86-year-old Thenothummal Gopalan Nambiar has regained ownership of his home and 1.28 acres of land, property he had feared was lost forever after being usurped by relatives.

Childless, Gopalan Nambiar and his wife, Soudamini, were living alone at their ancestral home in Thenothummal. When Soudamini suffered a debilitating stroke, the elderly couple moved to Nileshwaram to stay with Soudamini’s niece, Shaiba, and her husband, Haridas. On the understanding that they would look after the couple in their twilight years, Shaiba and Haridas managed to get the title deeds of the 1.28-acre property and house in Paliyana transferred into their names.

However, the promised care never materialised. Neglected despite his own age-related infirmities and struggling to manage his bedridden wife, a disillusioned Gopalan Nambiar was eventually forced to leave and seek refuge at his sister’s house.

Shortly thereafter, Soudamini passed away, severing Nambiar’s last ties with his late wife’s family. Stripped of his home and battling failing health, the octogenarian was left utterly devastated. Learning of his plight, members of a local pensioners’ association stepped in. With the dedicated assistance of association functionary P. Purushothaman, they petitioned the Maintenance Tribunal for Senior Citizens on Nambiar's behalf.

Following extensive hearings before the Mananthavady Revenue Divisional Magistrate, Tribunal Chairman Athul Sagar delivered a verdict in favour of Gopalan Nambiar. In accordance with the order, directives have been issued to the Vellamunda Sub-Registrar to void all four title deeds used by the relatives to seize the land and house, officially returning the property to Nambiar.