New Delhi, 4 Nov

The NHRC on Tuesday said it has issued a notice to the Karnataka government and the State's police Chief over reports that an old man was allegedly made to give bribe to an ambulance driver, police, crematorium staff and civic officials after the death of his only daughter in the City.

The National Human Rights Commission, in a statement, has observed that the content of the news report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human rights.

The NHRC has taken "suo motu cognisance of a media report that while mourning the death of his only daughter, a grieving 64-year-old father was made to pay bribes at every step, including an ambulance driver, police, crematorium staff and civic officials in Bengaluru," the statement read.

Reportedly, an IIT-Madras and IIM-Ahmedabad graduate woman working in the City suffered a brain haemorrhage on September 18. When the father called an ambulance after the death of his daughter, the ambulance driver allegedly "apparently over-charged for the services," it said.

When he reported his daughter's death to the police, they not only "displayed a lack of empathy," but gave copies of the FIR and post-mortem report only allegedly after a bribe was paid, the statement said.