The Amruthahalli police on Thursday arrested the owner of an ambulance service and a driver for allegedly demanding ₹60,000 from the family of 55-year-old R.V. Prasad, who succumbed to COVID-19 on April 20. His family had contacted the ambulance to preserve the body in a freezer for the night and take it to the crematorium the next day.
Nandana Ambulance International, situated near Hebbal flyover, agreed but demanded ₹60,000 to be paid immediately. According to the police, his daughter Bhavya, 26, who was struggling to arrange the money, asked the owner to reduce the amount but the driver who had already taken the body threatened to dump it on the road. The owner, Harish Ashwanthnarayana, agreed to ₹16,000 after the family sought the media’s help.
The Amruthahalli police conducted an inquiry. Based on a complaint filed by Bhavya, the police arrested driver Hanumanthappa Singri, 30, and Harish.
