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.

Published on: Nov 10, 2022, 17:48:04 IST

By Yamini C S | Edited by Aniruddha Dhar

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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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“We have approached the deputy commissioner’s office on this issue. However, the sites have not been released. We are left with no option but to die. Let the government take over our property and allow us to die,” Srikanth Naik said.

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.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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