Dejected over ‘bribes’, Karnataka couple seeks mercy killing: Report

The couple from Karnataka has resorted to requesting permission for mercy killing by writing a petition to the president of the country as they have been harassed by demands of bribes for government officials to clear their real estate property papers.

A couple from Karnataka's Shivamogga has written to President Droupadi Murmu requesting mercy killing as they have been harassed by government officers who repeatedly demanded bribes.

The Panchayat Development department have been demanding lakhs of rupees as bribe to clear paperwork for their property. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The couple, Srikanth and Sujata Naik, has developed a private residential layout in the Kugve village near Sagar taluk of the Shivamogga district, The Hindu reported. The publication quoted the couple as saying that government officials from the Panchayat development department have been demanding lakhs of rupees as a bribe to clear paperwork for their property.

Srikanth Naik has told reporters that a Panchayat development officer had demanded ₹5 lakh bribe, and a Taluk Panchayat executive officer demanded ₹10 lakh to clear sites in their layout.

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Disheartened by this, the couple submitted a petition to the President of the country as well as the assistant commissioner of the taluk on Wednesday.

The couple used up all their savings for the real estate project and built it under the Khandika gram panchayat limits.

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The assistant commissioner's office is working on verifying the details of the case and submitting a report to senior officials. The Karnataka government has been accused of corruption and bribery multiple times in the past.