Mayor in soup for show of sympathy?

The BBMP continues to draw flak over the growing number of stray dog attacks in the city, and now Mayor Sharadamma's gesture of sympathy towards the family of a two-and-a-half year old boy, who had gone missing from a hospital where his mother was admitted for delivery, is under question.

Helping hand: Mayor Sharadammahands over compensation cheque of
Rs 1 lakh to to Sandeep's parents though the post mortem report is
not out yet

The body of the boy was found with stray dogs around on Friday in Yelahanka, but the post mortem results were not out yet and compensation cannot be issued without the case being first investigated. More shocking is the fact that Nirmal, who gave birth to a baby boy two days ago, has been approaching the authorities to find her missing son. The BBMP officials have not broken the news to her and instead, Sharadamma made a grand show of solidarity in front of shutterbugs by issuing a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to the bereaved mother.

Nirmala had gone to the corporation office to appeal to the mayor to speed up the search operation for her missing son. Nirmala said, "My son has been missing since four days. I have appealed to the BBMP officials for help, but they are not sure of my son's whereabouts."

BBMP health official C Kameshwari said, "We have told Nirmala that her son is missing and we are doing our best to track him." Joint Director of the Animal Husbandry department (BBMP) Parvez Ahmed Peeran, has lashed out at the mayor for this 'show of sympathy'.

"How can any official issue compensations and regard this case as death due to stray dog attack, even before investigating the case. Even the previous incident in Bagalur has been regarded as death due to dog bites. That was a murder case and the parents could not fight it because they were poor. I have complained to the higher authorities regarding this and hopefully it will be looked into seriously," said Peeran.