KARNATAKA HC DIRECTED BBMP TO INVESTIGATE THE COVID-19 BED SCAM

9th May 2021

The Karnataka HC orally directed Bruhar Bengaluru Mahanagar Palika to look into the Covid bed scam in Bengaluru. This came to light after BJP MP Tejasvi Surya raised allegations and exposed the alleged bed blocking by staff. However, things turned ugly when Surya read out 17 names from a minority community, following which they were fired from their job roles. Surya alleged that officials of BBMP and hospitals blocked beds under fake names to make money out of it. He further said that more than 4,064 beds were booked.

A division bench comprising of Chief Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Aravind Kumar made these directions while hearing a suo motu on Covid 19 management in the state. The scam was brought to notice by Adv GR Mohan.

Adv Sreenidhi appearing for BBMP submitted that "Chief Commissioner is on a war footing, we are going to ward level to find out the shortage or requirements of oxygen needed. We are adding additional 100 more oxygenated beds in government hospitals and also taking out Maternity hospitals with 233 oxygenated beds".

The Hon'ble Court asked BBMP to conduct an investigation into the matter and report the same in a sealed cover on 11th May (the next day of the hearing).

Author - Papiha Ghoshal