S Shyam Prasad

BENGALURU

Central Relief Committee

Beggars Relief and Rehabilitation Centre

Siddaramaiah

chief minister

inquiry officer

IAS officer

director

the National

Lakshmi Narasimhaiah

receiving officer

secretary

additional chief metropolitan magistrate

last officer

Krishne Gowda

advocate

touch

Kamakshipalya police

The special drive to rid Bengaluru of beggars, started in 2010, has resulted in a concentration camp-like situation and caused the death of 264 people. The crisis reached such epidemic proportions that a definite number was not given to the total deaths even as the dead were cremated in various crematoriums in the city. It’s only now that the horrifying numbers and details are tumbling out. The details of the enquiry report on the deaths have been quoted by the high court, while it rejected the plea of four government officers to quash the case against them for causing the 264 deaths.The high court on July 28 paved the way for the trial of three officers of thefor “causing death by negligence” of 264 inmates. The government had not even bothered to vacate the stay on investigation granted four years ago. The, officially called the Nirashrithara Parihara Kendra (NPK), is situated on Magadi Road and is commonly known as Beggars Colony. It is run by the Central Relief Committee.The NPK shot to infamy in the third week of August 2010. Day in and day out, deaths of a large number of inmates were reported. Pathetic conditions of the inmates were revealed and, instead of rehabilitation, it looked like they were slowly being put to death. After a clutch of politicians visited the NPK, things went from bad to worse. Current chief minister, then in the opposition, had visited the place and asked the inmates to run away. Many did. ThenBS Yeddyurappa ordered an enquiry into the deaths after visiting NPK on August 22, 2010.ThewasS Selvakumar, missionofRural Health Mission. A two-volume report was submitted to the government and, by a government order dated November 1, 2011, a case was filed.The four officers named are head warder Hanumanthrayappa, superintendentD Bhagyalakshmi andS Krishne Gowda. They were charged under Section 304-A of the Indian Penal Code for “causing death by negligence”. The case came up before the. On April 25, 2012, the four approached the HC to get the case against them quashed. The original case was pending till Justice AN Venugopala Gowda sent it back for trial three days ago. In the meantime, the, died. To quash the case, the HC pointed to the enquiry report that mentioned a lack of supervision and coordination in the NPK and poor maintenance of records. The report also pointed to registers and records being tampered with, procedural lapses, medical negligence and “cleanliness and medical care taking a backseat” in the dormitories.Thefor the four officers had argued before the HC that they were not responsible for the deaths, as the inmates died “due to old age and general weakness”. The advocate submitted the findings of the enquiry report, pointing out that the case was filed because the NPL administrators “lacked a humaneand concern towards the beggars”. The HC, in its order, noted there is no dispute with regard to the loss of 264 human lives between January and August 2010. “It said the case registered against the officers was correct as the report disclosed the “commission of a cognisable offence, justifying the registration of the crime and investigation by the police”.The HC directed theto conduct its investigation and submit the final report with utmost expedition.