Explain issuance of death certificate: HC to collector

HYDERABAD: Taking a serious view of  the issuance of death certificate without holding an inquiry by Banswada gram panchayat officials, the High Court directed the Nizamabad district collector on Friday to give an explanation as to why no action was taken against the officials responsible for it.Justice M S Ramachandra Rao gave this direction on a petition filed by VS Jyothsana Kamla Devi and another person from Medak district, seeking directions to the collector to initiate an inquiry into the subject matter. The petitioner’s counsel told the court that the petitioner’s sister Elizibeth Rani, who was working as a staff nurse in Hyderabad, had died of heart attack at Medak on March 11 this year.

Before her death she had, through a will, stated that her death benefits should be utilised for the birth and death anniversary functions of her deceased son. However, her husband S Hanumandlu had suppressed the ‘will’ document and fraudulently obtained a death certificate that she had died at Banswada government hospital in Nizamabad. Contrary to the will written by Elizibeth, her husband tried to get benefits on the strength of that death certificate, the counsel pointed out. The judge directed the district collector to submit complete details of the issue in two weeks and adjourned the  hearing.