Post by : Raina
Al-Fahim
Bengaluru, India – A former chief financial officer at Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, K Sivakumar, has posted on LinkedIn about alleged corrupt practices he encountered while arranging formalities after his daughter’s death, prompting widespread public criticism of city offices. The post detailed obstacles he faced following the death of his 34-year-old daughter, Akshaya, on 18 September 2025.
Akshaya held a B.Tech in Computer Science and an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad and had more than a decade of professional experience, including eight years at Goldman Sachs. She reportedly died at home from a brain haemorrhage, leaving her family reeling.
In his account, Sivakumar said he was asked for money by multiple parties involved in post-death procedures — from ambulance staff to municipal employees and crematorium workers — describing a pattern of demands at nearly every step.
He said the ambulance driver insisted on Rs 3,000 to transfer his daughter’s body from Kasavanahalli to St. John’s Hospital in Koramangala, a payment he was forced to make, according to the post.
At the police station, Sivakumar alleged that officials requested cash in return for providing copies of the FIR and the post-mortem report, further compounding the family’s distress.
Sivakumar also criticised the attitude of some officials, questioning whether there was any compassion shown to a family in trauma when money was demanded and personnel behaved rudely. He said BBMP delayed issuing a death certificate for five days citing a "caste survey," and ultimately charged above the stated fee.
He appealed to prominent philanthropists such as Narayana Murthy, Azim Premji and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw to help address what he described as the city’s systemic problems. The LinkedIn post, which drew widespread attention before being taken down, sparked public outrage online.
Whitefield Police said they have suspended one PSI and one constable attached to Bellandur Police Station while the matter is investigated, adding the department will not tolerate inappropriate conduct by its personnel.
Malavika Avinash, BJP Karnataka vice president, expressed sympathy for Sivakumar and criticised the state government’s handling of the matter, calling the system "defunct" and asking Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and the Urban Development Minister to explain why a bereaved father faced such treatment and why the post was removed. The episode has intensified calls for greater accountability and administrative reform across Bengaluru.
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