Bengaluru, May 5 (UNI) The Karnataka government on Wednesday appointed retired High Court judge Justice B A Patil as a one man commission to inquire into the death of 24 Covid patients in Chamarajanagar Taluk Hospital allegedly due to oxygen shortage.
A notification regarding the appointment of Justice Patil was issued by the Additional Chief Secretary in the Home Department, Rajneesh Goel.
The term of reference of the Commission read, 'To inquire into the circumstances and events leading to the death of COVID-19 patients in District Hospital, Chamarajanagar on May 3, reportedly due to scarcity of oxygen and any further similar incidents, which are entrusted to the Commission of Inquiry by Government.' The office of the commission has to submit its report in one month.
The notification said the officers concerned, including the Deputy Commissioners of Chamarajanagar and Mysuru districts, should hand over immediately all requisite documents and material evidence to the Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare Department for onward submission to the Inquiry Commission.
The order came following the directions of the Karnataka High Court, which had taken a serious note of the deaths in Chamarajanagar and recommended a judicial inquiry.
The state government had previously appointed IAS officer Shivayogi Kalasad, the managing director of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, as an investigating officer to probe the matter within three days.
The opposition Congress, however, claimed that 28 people died.
Close on the heels of the Chamarajanagar incident, seven Covid patients died in Kalaburagi (4) and Belagavi (3) allegedly due to lack of oxygen on Tuesday morning.
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