NHRC notice to Karnataka on reports claiming man forced to 'bribe' officials after daughter's death
New Delhi (PTI): The NHRC on Tuesday said it has issued a notice to the Karnataka government and the state's police chief over reports that an old man was allegedly made to give bribe to an ambulance driver, police, crematorium staff and civic officials after the death of his only daughter in Bengaluru.
The National Human Rights Commission, in a statement, has observed that the content of the news report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human rights.
The NHRC has taken "suo motu cognisance of a media report that while mourning the death of his only daughter, a grieving 64-year-old father was made to pay bribes at every step, including an ambulance driver, police, crematorium staff and civic officials in Bengaluru," the statement read.
According to an October 30 media report, what should have been a solemn farewell, turned into a "nightmare of corruption, bureaucracy and inhumanity", it added.
Therefore, the NHRC has issued notices to the chief secretary and the director general of police of Karnataka, seeking a report in two weeks, the rights panel said.
Reportedly, an IIT-Madras and IIM-Ahmedabad graduate woman working in the city suffered a brain haemorrhage on September 18. When the father called an ambulance after the death of his daughter, the ambulance driver allegedly "apparently over-charged for the services," it said.
When he reported his daughter's death to the police, they not only "displayed a lack of empathy," but gave copies of the FIR and post-mortem report only allegedly after a bribe was paid, the statement said.
According to the media report, the deceased person's family donated the woman's eyes before cremation. Money was again allegedly demanded at the crematorium, which the father paid.
There was also a "considerable delay" in issuing a death certificate from Mahadevapura municipal authorities. Despite intervention by a senior officer, the certificate was issued only after the father allegedly paid a bribe, it said.
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CM launches poster campaign 'Justice for Karnataka'
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday released nine posters as part of a campaign: ‘Justice for Karnataka. Fair Share–Strong Federalism’ asking the Centre to heed state's demands.
These posters highlight key demands placed before the Finance Commission: Restoring Karnataka’s fair tax share; correcting unjust income, population and GSDP criteria; ensuring fair disaster and ecological support; strengthening decentralisation; providing dedicated infrastructure support for Bengaluru; supporting backward regions like Kalyana Karnataka; and upholding the constitutional spirit of cooperative federalism, Siddaramaiah said.
In a statement, Siddaramaiah said his government has placed its legitimate and constitutionally grounded demands before the 16th Finance Commission, seeking justice in tax devolution and fiscal federalism.
“We hope that the 16th Finance Commission reflects these concerns fairly in its recommendations, and that the Union Government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi implements them in letter and spirit, without subjecting Karnataka to petty politics or discrimination, as has unfortunately happened in the past,” the chief minister said.
Siddaramaiah underlined that Karnataka is among the country’s highest contributors to national revenues, yet its share in tax devolution was earlier reduced from 4.71 per cent to 3.64 per cent causing a loss of nearly Rs 80,000 crore.
"Flawed formulas that penalise development and population control, unrealistic GSDP calculations, inadequate disaster support, unchecked cesses and surcharges, denial of GST compensation, and non-release of recommended grants have collectively weakened the state’s finances," Siddaramaiah charged.
