Bengaluru 'bribe for bed': Siddaramaiah touts scam as an 'attempt to protect BJP bosses'

Congress leer Siddaramaiah accused BJP MP Tejasvi Surya of unearthing 'bribe for bed' scam involving BBMP officials to 'protect image of his political bosses' and demanded to know why South Bengaluru MP stayed silent on matter despite knowing about it ten days earlier. BJP MP Tejasvi Surya alleged irregularities in allotment of beds to COVID patients in Bengaluru and accused Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) war room officials of running a racket to falsely book beds in return for money.

Former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah claimed that BJP Yuva Morcha president, along with MLAs Ravi Subramanya & Satish Reddy, should have conducted a 'sting operation' on CM Yediyurappa, his ministers, BJP MLAs and MPs and stated that BBMP officers & workers are just scapegoats.

Congress' Siddaramaiah claimed that he h 'exposed corruption' of Karnataka government on multiple occasions in past since outbreak of COVID pandemic with evidence. former Karnataka CM challenged Tejasvi Surya to urge CM Yediyurappa to launch an investigation into allegations leveled by  BJP MP and Congress party. '

Siddaramaiah went on to question delay in Tejasvi Surya exposing scam and asked if he h been 'negotiating a deal with BBMP officers' or if he 'was preparing a script to protect BJP leers' of state. 

Tejasvi Surya unearths 'bribe for bed scam'

Even as Bengaluru has witnessed a stey increase in demand for hospital beds, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya claimed to have uneard a scam in allotment of beds by BBMP war room officials and accused m of falsely booking beds that are mean for COVID positive patients in exchange for money. BJP MP claimed that over 4065 beds in Bengaluru have been booked illegally so far and detailed on modus operandi of scam, noting that beds were falsely allotted for 12 hours during which BBMP officials allegedly attempted to 'sell beds'.

On Tuesday, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya along with MLAs Sathish Reddy and Uday Garudachar confronted BBMP war-room officials regarding racket following which bed allotment scam case was later on handed over to Central Crime Branch (CCB) for investigation. BJP leers accused BBMP war-room officials of allotting beds, meant for COVID positive patients, to asymptomatic patients and charging Rs 40,000 for blocking a bed. BJP MP and MLAs questioned civic body officials on how beds could be blocked for mission of a new patient within thirty seconds of previous patient who was discharged. 

Furr, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya accused war-room personnel of being related to each or and questioned  'hiring process' of 17 individuals and whereabouts of agency that y belonged to. dressing a press conference, Tejasvi Surya said that re were enough beds in Bengaluru city but none of m were available to people as war room personnel have been running a racket of false blocking beds and n allotting m to those y please. BJP Yuva Morcha president claimed that re was a nexus between certain BBMP officials, Aarogya Mitra hospitals and private agents who were indulging in 'bribe for bed' scam.  

CM Yediyurappa vows 'severe action'

After MP Tejasvi Surya's 'bribe for beds' scam expose, Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa said that severe action would be taken against those involved in racket. Later in evening, Bengaluru city Police Commissioner Kamal Pant said that case, which was lodged at Jayanagar Police Station and in which two accused were arrested for fraud, h been handed over to CCB for an in-depth investigation. An FIR of bed blocking was registered at Jaynagar police station under crime number 83/21 and agents Rohit and Netra arrested in case.  duo booked under sections 420 and 384 of IPC and reportedly sold ICU beds to patients, charging m Rs 50,000 per bed. Police also seized 1,05,000 from ir bank account while furr investigations are on.