A lawyer and RTI activist has complained to the Chief Secretary seeking action against the former MP and BJP leader Vijay Sankeshwar for recommending lime juice inhalation as a remedy for oxygen scarcity.
Bheemagouda Paragonda, based in Athani in Belaglavi district, who has sent the complaint to the Chief Secretary P. Ravi Kumar, has urged him to take action against Mr. Sankeshwar for misleading the public on the epidemic, in violation of rules and regulations.
Copies of the complaint have been sent to the Deputy Commissioners of Raichur and Dharwad. In Raichur, a teacher died after self-administering lime juice through his nostrils. Mr. Sankeshwar usually resides in Hubballi in Dharwad district.
Mr. Paragonda has said that Mr. Sankeshwar was responsible for the death of Basavaraj Malipatil, teacher from Raichur, who is said to have died after the home remedy.
The complainant has urged the Chief Secretary to direct the jurisdictional officers to file a suo motu case under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code and some sections of Disaster Management Act. He has also argued that Mr. Sankeshwar should be asked to pay a compensation of ₹50 lakh to the family of the deceased teacher.
The teacher was misled by the statement made by Mr. Sankeshwar. The teacher’s family members have confirmed to media that he had had no prior illness.
Mr. Sankeshwar had in a recent press meet said that administering lime juice through nostrils increased oxygen levels by 80%. He had said that he had seen this home remedy work in 200 persons, including his relatives and colleagues.
Mr. Paragonda told The Hindu that the government, which was taking strict action against those spreading lies and rumours in the period of a pandemic, was not taking any action against its own leaders who were publicly recommending untested home remedies.
Mr. Sankeshwar has clearly violated COVID-19 guidelines and the provisions of the Disaster Management Act and the Epidemic Diseases Act, the lawyer said.
