Daughter’s emotional plea for father’s lost memories

A woman in Bengaluru has approached the police alleging that a luxury Rado wristwatch worth Rs 1.80 lakh and a half-sleeve sweater belonging to her deceased father — which she described as one of the last memories she had of him — were stolen while he was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the city.

The Govindarajanagar police have registered an FIR in connection with the incident and initiated further investigation.

The emotional daughter released a video on Friday and appealed that it's not about the value of the watch, it's about emotions attached to her dad.

According to the complaint filed by Anita Ramaiah, a resident of Basaveshwaranagar, her father K. Ramaiah, a social worker, had suddenly collapsed on January 15 following severe health complications. She stated that at the time, her father was wearing a Rado wristwatch worth Rs 1.80 lakh and a half-sleeve sweater.

In the complaint, Anita alleged that a private hospital initially refused to administer first aid, following which the family shifted Ramaiah by car to another reputed private hospital in Bengaluru. She stated that her father was lying on her lap in the backseat during the journey.

“After reaching the Fortis hospital, two assistants took my father out of the car and shifted him inside. Around 30 minutes later, doctors declared him dead," she said in the complaint.

Following Ramaiah’s death, the family allegedly discovered that both the watch and the sweater were missing.

"During that time, the Rado watch worn by my father and his sweater went missing,” the complaint stated.

Anita claimed that the watch held immense sentimental value as it was closely associated with her father’s memory.

She later lodged a complaint at the Govindarajanagar police station alleging theft of the valuables from the Fortis hospital premises. However, the family has alleged that despite approaching the police earlier, there was a delay in registering the FIR. According to sources, the FIR was formally registered recently.

The police have booked unknown persons under Section 303(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

In a video released by Anita, she alleged that on March 15 she received a message stating that her complaint had been closed. She said she then approached the Fortis hospital authorities seeking an internal enquiry and access to CCTV footage.

“After two days, the Fortis hospital sent a condolence message saying the missing items were not found. Later, when I again approached the Govindarajanagar police station, the police inspector directed staff to issue a notice to the hospital,” she said.

According to Anita, two weeks later, Fortis hospital authorities informed her that the CCTV footage related to the incident was unavailable.

“I am just hoping that I get back my dad’s wristwatch. It is not about the cost, it is about the memories. I am still unable to come out of the shock of my father’s death,” she said in the video statement.

The Govindarajanagar police are currently investigating the case and questioning the hospital authorities regarding the allegations.