Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, May 6: More skeletons are tumbling out of the scandal involving blocking of beds for selling to those who can afford to pay higher charges. The city central division police have unearthed one such racket and arrested three accused.

Venkatasubba Rao and Manjunath, who have contacts with Peepal Tree Hospital in the city and 'Arogya Mitra' of M S Ramaiah Hospital, Puneet, are the arrested accused.

They had provided bed to Lakshmidevamma from Nelamangala after collecting Rs 1.2 lac from her son. She had died within hours of admission into the intensive care unit of M S Ramaiah Hospital, said central division deputy commissioner of police, Anuchet.

Lakshmidevamma was admitted into a private hospital at Nelamangala. As she needed advanced treatment, she was brought to Peepal Tree Hospital where an ICU bed was not available. Then the accused entered into a deal with the lady's son, Lakshmeesh, demanded Rs 1.2 lac for getting an ICU bed in M S Ramaiah Hoslital and collected money. Rs 50,000 was paid through Google Pay and Rs 70,000 was given in cash. Bed was allotted in the hospital as conveyed by another son of Lakshmidevamma, Chetan, who called 112 to give this information. The complaint was then shifted to Sadashivanagar police station.