Bengaluru Hospital 'bed scam': BJP MP alleges hospitals blocked beds in fake names to make money
Bengaluru, May 4: BJP MP Tejasvi Surya on Tuesday alleged that hospitals in the city 'blocked' beds in fake names to make money, at a time when COVID-19 cases were rising in the country and Karnataka.
At least 4,065 beds were 'blocked' in fake names by the hospitals to make a killing, the BJP Yuva Morcha president and Bengaluru South BJP MP alleged.
Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said he will take action 'mercilessly' against the hospitals, their management and government officials and will not spare anyone who is involved in it.
As COVID cases are rising, the Karnataka government has ordered the private hospitals and nursing homes to reserve 80 per cent of beds for coronavirus patients.
However, according to Surya, government officials in Bengaluru colluded with private nursing homes and hospitals to block the beds and reserve it for exorbitant fees.
"When people are struggling to find a bed in the hospital and begging everyone including MPs and MLAs to give them one, there are hospitals who say that no beds are vacant," Surya told reporters.
According to him, those in the BBMP (city corporation) war room in Bengaluru get all the details about those testing positive such as whether they are asymptomatic or symptomatic.
If they are asymptomatic, they will be kept under home isolation but beds will be booked in different hospitals in their names, he alleged.
In one instance, beds were booked in 12 hospitals in the name of one patient, Surya said, adding, these beds are 'sold' to the needy at a much higher price.
"When families after families are getting wiped out for lack of proper treatment, these incidents are not just corruption. This is murder," Surya told reporters.
Taking serious note of the incident, the state government ordered a police investigation. Accordingly, a case has been registered.
Bengaluru city police Commissioner Kamal Pant tweeted on Tuesday that the matter has been handed over to the Central Crime Branch and two people have been arrested and others were being questioned.
"A case has been registered in Jayanagar Police Station for fraud and cheating allegedly committed in allotment of beds on BBMP portal for #COVID patients. Two accused have been arrested and others are being questioned for alleged fraud/irregularity in the allotment of beds in return for money from patients," he tweeted.
Replying to the Commissioner's tweet, the BJP MP wrote: "Thank you for the swift action. I sincerely hope the kingpins, senior officials, are held for their omissions and commissions."
"System won't reform if some small fry elements are held as is mostly done. Have lots of faith in you, Sir."
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TMC MP Mahua Moitra moves SC challenging Waqf (Amendment) Act
New Delhi (PTI): Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra has also approached the Supreme Court challenging the validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.
Meanwhile, a three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan has listed for hearing on April 16 ten other petitions, including the one filed by AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, challenging the validity of the law.
Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal, Zia-ur-Rahman Barq, had recently also filed a plea on the issue in the apex court.
Moitra, who filed her plea on April 9, has said the controversial amendment not only suffered from serious procedural lapses but also violated several fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.
“It is submitted that the violation of parliamentary practices during the law-making process has contributed to the unconstitutionality of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025,” the plea said.
“Procedurally, the Chairperson of the Joint Parliamentary Committee flouted parliamentary rules and practices both at the stage of consideration and adoption of the draft report of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf Amendment Bill and at the stage of presentation of the said report before Parliament,” it said.
The plea said that dissenting opinions from the opposition MPs were reportedly redacted without justification from the final report presented in Parliament on February 13, 2025.
Such actions undermined the deliberative process of Parliament and violated established norms as outlined in authoritative parliamentary procedure manuals, it said.
The plea said the new law allegedly infringed upon Articles 14 (equality before the law), 15(1) (non-discrimination), 19(1)(a) and (c) (freedom of speech and association), 21 (right to life and personal liberty), 25 and 26 (freedom of religion), 29 and 30 (minority rights), and Article 300A (right to property) of the Constitution.
Moitra sought striking down of the Act in its entirety, citing its procedural irregularities and substantive violations of the Constitution.
AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, AAP leader Amanatullah Khan, Association for the Protection of Civil Rights, Arshad Madani, Samastha Kerala Jamiathul Ulema, Anjum Kadari, Taiyyab Khan Salmani, Mohammad Shafi, Mohammed Fazlurrahim and RJD leader Manoj Kumar Jha have also moved the top court on the issue.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Congress MPs Imran Pratapgarhi and Mohammad Jawed are other key petitioners in the case.
