Days after a retired Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) chief financial officer (CFO) posted a heartfelt message on LinkedIn, narrating his ordeal of having to pay bribes to ambulance drivers, policemen and civic authorities following the death of his 34-year-old daughter, the Bengaluru police on Thursday suspended two police officials. The viral post by Sivakumar K has since been deleted.
Sivakumar’s daughter, Akshaya Sivakumar, an IIM Ahmedabad graduate, reportedly died in September. In a recent post, Sivakumar said he was sharing the pain he experienced following her death, as he repeatedly had to pay bribes to the ambulance driver, the police, people at the crematorium, and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
“Ambulance guy said pay Rs 3000 for taking her from one hospital in Kasavanahalli to St Johns in Koramangala,” he said. “Police was so rude especially the inspector when his juinors said we can go ahead with post martum Then luckily my ex employer pulled the right strings he made a U turn and asked have i aporoached Police Top Brass and kept silent Post Mortem was done and we donated her eyes and body was released for cremation (sic),” the post added.
After allegedly paying a bribe at the cremation ground, Sivakumar said he had to go to the police for a copy of the First Information Report and post-mortem report. “…we met after 4 days and they gave and openly demanded cash which i paid In the open police station. I later found there are no CCTV in the area where they take money. Actually the Sub inspector spoke so nicely and signed the above docs and gave me and told to meet his assistant where bribe is demanded,” the post read.
“In BBMP i went for 5 days daily and i was told no one is in office due to Caste Survey. Then i approached a top official in BBMP and DC was issued after taking more money that the official DC charges,” he said. “I had money, I paid. What will the poor do?” he added.
As the post went viral and sparked public outrage, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Whitefield) K Parashurama confirmed that Police Sub-Inspector Santosh and Police Constable Gorakhnath, who were attached with the Bellandur police station, had been suspended and that a department inquiry was pending.
‘Not just corruption, it’s cruelty’
The grieving father’s post also drew reactions from Karnataka politicians. Janata Dal (Secular) leader Nikil Kumawswamy said on X, “Sivakumar K, retired BPCL CFO, lost his only 34-year-old daughter. Even in grief, he was forced to pay bribes, ambulance, police, BBMP, crematorium. This is not just corruption, it’s cruelty. Action must be taken against every officer involved. If this is what a senior officer faced, imagine what the poor go through every single day. @CMofKarnataka sir, this is a test of governance and conscience. Karnataka deserves better.”
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Karnataka BJP MLA and deputy leader of Opposition Arvind Bellad said the “heartbreaking post” had “shaken Bengaluru’s conscience”. “After losing his only daughter to a brain hemorrhage, he was forced to pay bribes at every step — from the ambulance driver and police to the crematorium and BBMP. Even in grief, the system exploited him,” he said.
“This is what @INCKarnataka rule has done to Karnataka — created a culture of corruption so deep that officials no longer fear consequences or feel shame. They behave as if they own the city, not serve it. Civil servants have turned into extortionists, and citizens are left helpless, humiliated, and angry. This rot is not accidental — it is the result of political patronage, moral decay, and complete collapse of accountability,” he added.
Demanding that the Congress government take full responsibility for “enabling such a broken system”, he said, “It’s high time we push for serious policy reforms to enforce integrity, transparency, and dignity in public service. Every official involved in this incident must face a thorough enquiry and strict punishment. No citizen should ever have to endure such cruelty from the very institutions meant to serve them.”