As the country grapples with the second wave of COVID-19, a number of malpractices have surfaced in the face of calamity. One such malpractice has come to light in Bengaluru recently, where BJP MP Tejaswi Surya claimed that bribes are being taken to allocate beds to COVID patients.

The matter came to the notice of the court after Advocate G R Mohan apprised the Karnataka High Court about the FIR being registered and investigated by the police. 

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Aravind Kumar of the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday, May 5th, 2021, directed the state government orally to submit a report of investigating officer probing the case of alleged corruption and malpractice in allocating beds through the BBMP’s centralized bed allocation system for COVID patients, by the end of the week. 

Advocate General GR Mohan told the court that the FIR is being investigated by the CCB and the report would be submitted to the court.

In the allegations made by Tejasvi Surya, following which the investigation began, 4 persons have been arrested in the case as a part of the same investigation so far. Surya also stated that a nexus of BBMP officers, Arogya Mitras and certain private agents is behind the scam that has led to an artificial shortage of beds in the city.