Son alleges negligence by hospital after missing man’s body found in Kochi
Kochi (PTI): The son of a Bengaluru native, whose suspected body was found in a forested area near the HMT premises here, alleged on Monday that his father's death was due to the negligence of Ernakulam Government Medical College authorities.
Santon told reporters that Suraj Lama (59), who suffered from memory loss, would not have died had they not discharged him.
Lama, who ran a restaurant in Kuwait, reportedly developed memory impairment following methanol poisoning and was deported in early October.
He arrived at Kochi airport on October 5 and was admitted to Ernakulam Medical College in Kalamassery.
However, he went missing after being discharged from the hospital on October 10.
Santon, who reached Kochi and searched for his father, later filed a habeas corpus petition in the Kerala High Court, which directed the police to form a special investigation team to locate the missing man.
Police officials said CCTV footage showed Lama was last seen near the HMT area, and a search led to the recovery of a decomposed body.
The clothing recovered matched what Lama was last seen wearing, they said.
“My brother saw the body — it is beyond recognition. I saw the photograph. We cannot identify him,” Santon said, adding that they will wait for DNA confirmation.
He alleged that the hospital acted irresponsibly in discharging his father despite knowing his condition.
“I have a medical certificate from the Kuwait government stating that my father is mentally challenged. How can the hospital say he requested discharge? How did they let him go in that condition?” he asked.
He said the body has now been taken to the same Medical College for further formalities.
“I will move the High Court seeking to shift the procedures elsewhere. I want a second medical opinion before any conclusion,” he said.
Santon also criticised immigration officials and airport authorities for allegedly failing to notice his father's mental condition upon arrival.
“Nobody cared. How come an Indian citizen is treated like this? We are from a freedom fighters’ family,” he said.
Maintaining that the police tried their best, he said searches were conducted earlier in the same region with dog squads based on the High Court’s direction.
“But the body was found just a short distance away from where we checked,” he said.
Medical College authorities said the allegations would be examined, and all admission and discharge records would be verified.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
