Karnataka:Two arrested in 'bribe for bed' scam, case transferred to Bengaluru Crime Branch

The Jayanagar Police on Tuesday arrested two accused in the bed-allotment scam which came to light in Bengaluru recently. The two accused have been arrested in connection with the alleged fraud in the allotment of beds on the BBMP portal and will be questioned by the police, as per Commissioner of Police Kamal Pant. The matter has now been transferred to the Bengaluru City Crime Branch.

Tejasvi Surya unearths 'bribe for beds' scam

The bed blocking scam was first unearthed by South Bengaluru MP Tejasvi Surya who revealed the illegalities in the allotment of beds to COVID-19 patients accusing the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) war room officials of running a racket. The BJP MP claimed that over 4,065 beds in Bengaluru had been booked illegally so far in exchange for money, some even in the name of asymptomatic patients. 

Tejasvi Surya along with MLAs Sathish Reddy and Uday Garudachar also confronted the BBMP war room officials where it was further revealed that beds were being 'sold' for as much as  Rs 40,000. The civic body officials were also questioned on how the beds could be blocked for the admission of a new patient within thirty seconds of the previous patient who was discharged. 

"Beds are blocked in the names of asymptomatic patients, people who are in home isolation and who are not even aware that a bed has been blocked under their name. Thereafter, the external agents speak to the personnel in the war room and reallot the bed to those people who make a certain payment to a certain person outside," MP Tejasvi Surya said, labelling it as the 'most disgusting' thing that could take place during a pandemic.