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New Delhi, Nov 4 (IANS) The NHRC has sought a report within two weeks from the Karnataka government and the state police chief on a case of allegedly accepting bribe from the 64-year-old father of a woman who died after brain hemorrhage. An official gave this information on Tuesday.
The man’s alleged harassment began after the death of his daughter, a graduate of IIT Madras and IIM Ahmedabad working in Bengaluru, who suffered brain haemorrhage on September 18.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that, while mourning the death of his only daughter, an elderly man in Bengaluru, Karnataka was forced to pay bribes at every step, including to ambulance drivers, police, crematorium staff and civic officials.
According to media reports released on October 30, what was supposed to be a farewell ceremony turned into a nightmare due to corruption, bureaucracy and inhumanity.
The Commission has found that the contents of the news report, if true, raise serious issues of human rights violations. Therefore, it has issued a notice to the Karnataka Chief Secretary and Director General of Police seeking a detailed report on the matter within two weeks.
When the father called an ambulance after his daughter died, the ambulance driver apparently overcharged for services. When she informed the police about her daughter’s death, they not only showed lack of sympathy but also gave copies of the FIR and post-mortem report only after paying bribe.
According to media reports, the deceased’s family donated the girl’s eyes before cremation. Money was again demanded at the cremation ground, which the father paid.
There was also a considerable delay in issuing the death certificate from the Mahadevapura municipal authorities. Despite the intervention of a senior official, the certificate was issued only after the father paid a bribe.
Earlier, the NHRC had asked the administrations of 19 state governments and 4 union territories to take precautionary measures and implement relief measures for vulnerable people ahead of the upcoming winter season.
The commission directed state and union territory governments to protect newborns, children, infants, the poor, the elderly, the homeless, the destitute and those involved in begging, who are at risk of exposure to the cold wave due to lack of shelter and resources, it said in a statement.
The right body also sought an action taken report from the government on the steps taken to deal with the cold wave and stressed the need to sensitize the concerned State/UT authorities.
–IANS
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