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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Rupee falls 9 paise to all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): Rupee depreciated 9 paise to an all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade on Monday, weighed down by uncertainty over an India-US trade deal and persistent foreign fund outflows.
Forex traders said rupee is trading with a negative bias as investors are in wait and watch mode and awaiting cues from the India-US trade deal front.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 90.53 against the US dollar, then fell further to an all-time intraday low of 90.58 against the greenback, registering a fall of 9 paise over its previous close.
On Friday, the rupee had slipped 17 paise to close at an all-time low of 90.49 against the American currency.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.05 per cent lower at 98.35.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 0.52 per cent at USD 61.44 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index Sensex was trading 298.86 points lower at 84,968.80, while the Nifty was down 121.40 points at 25,925.55.
Foreign Institutional Investors sold equities worth Rs 1,114.22 crore on Friday, according to exchange data.
"FPIs continue to be in selling mode in equity and debt while RBI has been selling dollars to fund their long positions," said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP.
