Bengaluru
The Karnataka High Court has issued a stern directive to the Greater Bangalore Municipal Corporation (BBMP), mandating the issuance of death certificates to the relatives of the deceased within 30 days. The court’s decision comes in response to the delay in providing a death certificate to the family of the JCB manager, Shanthakumar, who was tragically washed away by heavy rains in 2017. To date, Shanthakumar’s body remains unrecovered, despite the BBMP compensating his widow, Saraswati. The corporation has cited the lack of a doctor’s certification regarding the cause of death as the reason for withholding the death certificate. Expressing its dissatisfaction with BBMP’s adherence to procedure, the High Court termed the demand for a certificate in Form 4A, particularly in cases where the body has not been found, as entirely illogical and unacceptable. On May 20, 2017, Shanthakumar was swept away by torrential rains while engaged in drainage work. His wife, Saraswati, petitioned the High Court, highlighting the BBMP’s failure to issue her husband’s death certificate. The case was heard by Justice Suraj Govindaraj, who has now intervened to address the ongoing issue and expedite the issuance of the death certificate for the grieving family.
