Charge Beggars' Colony administrators with murder: NGOs

Those who managed the place were corrupt, a release by the organisation stated. They are also demanding a new monitoring committee to oversee the colony.

This committee should have individuals and members of the civil society who would have the right to meet inmates and officials, inspect and supervise the place with powers to implement necessary changes as prescribed in the Beggary Act 1975.

The organisations include Sichrem, Indian Social Institute, Sangama, Global Concern, India, Ananya, Vimochana, Concerned for Working Children, Karnataka Kolalagiri Nivasigara Sanghatana and Women’s Voice and St Joseph’s College.

They flayed the approach of the government terming the response as insensitive.
Questioning the absence of post mortem, the group stated “the absence of post-mortem when such a large number of persons have died and cremating them without proper procedures calls for penalties on all those responsible in accordance with the rule of law”.

Further, the groups which visited hospitals said the behaviour of the medical staff at Isolation Hospital was appalling.  “The hospital staff took bribes from beggars,” a member of the group said.