'Everyone sought bribe': Ex-CFO shares ordeal for daughter's death certificate
What's the story
A retired executive in Bengaluru has alleged he was forced to pay bribes at every step after his daughter's death. The former chief financial officer of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), K Sivakumar, detailed his experience in a now-deleted LinkedIn post. His daughter, Akshaya Sivakumar, 34, died of a brain hemorrhage on September 18.
Corruption
Allegations of police rudeness
In his post, Sivakumar alleged he was asked to pay bribes for an ambulance, police FIR filing, post-mortem report collection, cremation receipt and obtaining his daughter's death certificate from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). "With no empathy to a father who lost his only child. Very sad state. I had money, I paid. What will the poor do?" he wrote, adding that he was asked to pay the bribe by cops only in cash.
Profile
Akshaya worked for Goldman Sachs
Akshaya was an alumna of IIM-Ahmedabad and had a B.Tech in Computer Science. She worked for 11 years in the corporate sector, including eight years at Goldman Sachs. After the post-mortem, the family donated her eyes before cremation. Even "at the cremation ground, they demanded money, which we paid," the father wrote.
Certificate
Trouble getting death certificate
According to Sivakumar, the family even had trouble getting death certificate. He said that after five days of visiting the office, he was informed that no one was available due to an ongoing caste survey. The certificate was finally issued after he approached a senior BBMP official, although he had to pay more than the official fee. Sivakumar concluded his post with an appeal, writing, "Can Narayana Murthy, Azim Premji (and) Mazumdar, bigwigs with billions of money, save this city?"
Public response
Incident sparks outrage on social media
The incident has sparked outrage on social media, with many criticizing Bengaluru authorities for their inaction against corruption. One user wrote, "Very unfortunate that even police and public officers are so insensitive." Another questioned if India was regressing due to such bribery practices. A similar experience was shared by another person who had to pay ₹12,000 for a death certificate and other important documents.
Aftermath
Police suspend PSI, constable
After the incident came to light, Bengaluru's Whitefield Police suspended a PSI and constable from Bellandur Police Station. "The Police Department will not tolerate any such indecent or inappropriate behavior under any circumstances," they said. BBMP Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao also responded to the viral post, telling Moneycontrol, "We sympathize and have created a system to ensure death certificates are issued online. Our corporation is committed to ensure that the bereaved are treated with courtesy and respect."