Karnataka HC deputes panel to probe Chamarajanagar deaths

BENGALURU: Expressing displeasure over Karnataka government’s ‘propriety’ in appointing a commission under the Commission of Enquiry Act to probe the death of 24 Covid patients at a Chamarajanagar hospital due to lack of oxygen, the high court on Wednesday deputed a fact-finding committee comprising two retired high court judges to look into the incident.
The committee of the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority has Justices AN Venugopala Gowda as chairman and KN Keshavanarayana as member. A division bench headed by chief justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka passed an order to this effect.
The committee must submit its report by Monday.
Seize hospital records on oxy supply: High court
The panel must submit its report by Monday after studying records on supply of oxygen at Chamarajanagar and Mysuru deputy commissioner offices. The records are presently in the chief secretary’s custody.
The bench said the report “can be useful for the state government to ensure such unfortunate incidents do not occur hereafter”.
Earlier, advocate general Prabhuling K Navadgi informed the court that after analysing the court’s observations in Tuesday’s hearing, the state government had decided to appoint a commission under Commission of Enquiry Act led by retired high court judge Justice BA Patil.
However, the bench said that “propriety demanded that the state should have come before the court” before appointing the commissioner. The bench directed the chief secretary to immediately seize the hospital records on oxygen supply and related records from Chamarajanagar and Mysuru deputy commissioners’ offices.