Dead bodies of COVID-19 victims found 'rotting' in Bengaluru hospital for 15 months

In a heart-wrenching incident, the bodies of two COVID-19 victims, who died in July 2020, are "rotting" in the ESI (Employees' State Insurance Corporation) Hospital mortuary in the city for the past over one year.

The government had constructed a new mortuary in the hospital, which started working from December 2020. According to media reports, workers who were sent to clean the old mortuary three days ago on November 26th, Friday, noticed foul smell coming from the freezers and found the bodies.

According to hospital sources, a 40-year old woman and a man in his early 50s were admitted in the hospital in Rajajinagar with coronavirus in June 2020 and died a few days later in the following month.

Since then, their bodies are kept in the mortuary as the final rites were not performed for unknown reasons.

Rajajinagar BJP MLA and former minister S Suresh Kumar has written to Karnataka Labour Minister A Shivaram Hebbar requesting him to get the matter investigated and punish those responsible for the "inhuman incident."

In his letter, Kumar wrote that "The role of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanaara Palike and the ESI authorities is grave. In this regard, I request you order a high level probe, get the detailed inquiry report and initiate stringent action against those who are responsible for this inhumane act.

Rajajinagar police have taken up the case for further investigation.