An elderly man was found in a nearly unconscious state, gasping for air, inside a locked car bearing a Maharashtra Police sticker on the premises of the Taj Mahal in Uttar Pradesh's Agra. According to reports, the man's hands and feet were tied. Being locked inside the car for several hours in extreme heat and humidity had severely deteriorated his condition.
Fortunately, a security guard on duty at the parking area near the western gate of the Taj Mahal noticed a suspicious-looking car. When the guard peered through the car window, he saw an elderly person lying unconscious inside. What was particularly alarming was that his hands and feet were tied with cloth, making the incident even more suspicious.
The guard immediately sought help from other staff present in the parking area and, without delay, the car window was broken. The elderly person was then taken out and immediately given water. However, his condition had deteriorated so much that he was unable to speak or respond. An ambulance called to the scene immediately rushed the elderly person to hospital, where his condition is reported to be serious.
Eyewitnesses and local tourist guide Mohammad Aslam said that the elderly person could neither speak nor move. He said the scene was extremely sad and worrying. Meanwhile, some reports claim that the elderly person was locked in the car by the same family that had come from Maharashtra and had gone to visit the Taj Mahal.
The car from which the elderly person was found had a Maharashtra number plate and a 'Maharashtra Government' sticker on it. Additionally, passengers' luggage was also tied to the car roof, which clearly indicates that a family had come to Agra as tourists and possibly left the elderly person locked up due to negligence or insensitivity.
Tajganj Police Station officer-in-charge Inspector Kunwar Singh said: "In the preliminary investigation, this case appears to be gross negligence or inhumanity by the family. The elderly person's hands and feet were tied, which makes the matter even more serious. We are now identifying the car owner and investigating the entire sequence of events."
