Bengaluru Ex-CFO's 34-Year-Old Daughter Died. Then Everyone Asked For Bribes

A retired officer from Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) in Bengaluru shared a deeply emotional experience on social media, shedding light on the rampant corruption he faced following the death of his only daughter. K Sivakumar, the ex-Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of BPCL, revealed in a now-deleted LinkedIn post that after his 34-year-old daughter Akshaya passed away due to a brain hemorrhage, he was confronted with demands for bribes at every stage of the post-death procedures. Akshaya, who had an impressive career spanning 11 years including eight at Goldman Sachs, held degrees in Computer Science and an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad. Sivakumar detailed how corruption seemed entrenched in the system, affecting everything from ambulance services to police departments and municipal offices. He shared that the ambulance driver demanded Rs 3,000 just to transport his daughter’s body from Kasavanahalli to St. John's Hospital in Koramangala. This was just the beginning of a long and painful series of interactions, where even police officers asked for cash in exchange for filing the First Information Report (FIR) and handing over the post-mortem report. The payments were made openly at the police station, with no regard for the emotional trauma of a grieving father. The ordeal continued at the crematorium and at the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) office, where Sivakumar faced similar exploitation. He revealed how he had to visit the BBMP office repeatedly over five days just to obtain the death certificate, only to be told that the officials were unavailable due to a “caste survey” taking place. Eventually, he managed to get the certificate after reaching out to a senior official, but not without being charged more than the official fee. Sivakumar’s narrative expressed profound disappointment about the lack of empathy shown by those who should have been facilitating his family’s grief. His post struck a chord online, raising questions about the systemic corruption and callousness within public services. Sivakumar’s plea questioned whether influential figures like Narayana Murthy, Azim Premji, and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw could step in to help rectify the situation plaguing Bengaluru’s civic institutions. In response to the viral post, the Whitefield Police took immediate action by suspending one Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) and one constable from Bellandur Police Station. The police department reiterated that such inappropriate behavior would not be tolerated under any circumstances. This swift disciplinary measure highlighted the gravity of the issue and underscored a need for greater accountability within law enforcement agencies dealing with vulnerable citizens. The story serves as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by ordinary citizens in navigating bureaucratic systems when dealing with personal tragedies. It also brings into sharp focus the urgent need for systemic reforms to curb corruption and restore faith in public institutions, especially in a city like Bengaluru, known as a hub of India’s technological advancement.