Scores flee beggars’ home after 22 deaths in three days

BANGALORE - A number of inmates of the government-run Destitute Rehabilitation Centre on the city’s outskirts fled the place Friday following the death of 22 inmates in the last three days, an official said.

“A large number of inmates made use of the opportunity provided when the centre’s officials were busy seeing off ministers, who visited the camp Friday. They fled from the camp,” the official said.

It was reported Wednesday that 12 inmates of the centre, also known as Beggars’ Colony on Magadi Road in west Bangalore, had died. Eight more deaths were reported Thursday and two Friday.

The cause of these deaths is yet to be ascertained and a probe has been ordered. Home Minister V.S. Acharya, who visited the place along with three cabinet colleagues Friday, however, told reporters that the 22 had died of ‘natural causes’.

He was accompanied by Minister for Water Resources Basavaraj Bommai, Minister for Law S. Suresh Kumar and Minister for Social Welfare D. Sudhakar.

Acharya, a medical physician, said doctors “have certified all the deaths as natural. However, I have asked the commissioner of the social welfare department to submit a report by Saturday on the causes that led to these deaths”.

The camp was set up decades back to house and provide skills training to people found begging. It was part of the government’s efforts to end beggary.

Though the place is meant to house about 900 people, it has more than 2,500 people living there, leading to complaints of unhygienic conditions.

Acharya said a panel will be set up to suggest improvements at the centre as majority of the inmates were suffering from chronic diseases. Several terminally-ill patients were also in the centre, he said.

Sudhakar, whose ministry oversees the centre’s running, Friday rejected demands of the opposition Congress and Janata Dal-Secular for his resignation for the large number of deaths in the camp in three days.