Heartbreaking Account of Corruption Following Daughter's Death in Bengaluru

Former CFO Shares Emotional Experience on LinkedIn

Shivkumar K., the former Chief Financial Officer of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, shared a deeply emotional post on LinkedIn on Tuesday, detailing his painful experiences with corruption in Bengaluru following the tragic death of his only daughter. Akshaya Shivkumar, aged 34, passed away on September 18, 2025, due to a brain hemorrhage. In the aftermath, Shivkumar and his family faced a harrowing ordeal filled with demands for bribes from various officials while they were still grieving.

Bribes Demanded After Daughter's Passing

In a now-deleted post, the grieving father recounted his story, which sparked widespread outrage regarding corruption in the city. Akshaya, a former student of IIM Ahmedabad, had worked for 11 years in the corporate sector, including eight years at Goldman Sachs. Her untimely death led to a series of demands for bribes, starting with the ambulance service, followed by the police for filing an FIR and obtaining the post-mortem report, then the crematorium for receipts, and finally, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for her death certificate.

Police Conduct Under Scrutiny

Shivkumar also claimed that an inspector at the Bellandur police station displayed a lack of empathy towards him, a father mourning the loss of his only child. In response to the incident mentioned in Shivkumar's post, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) for Whitefield announced the suspension of a police sub-inspector and a constable. The DCP stated on social media that the police department would not tolerate such rude or inappropriate behavior under any circumstances.

Public Outcry on Social Media

Social media users expressed their anger towards the rampant corruption in Bengaluru, questioning the lack of accountability among officials and whether society is regressing. One user lamented, "It is unfortunate that police and government officials are so insensitive. They have no place in human society and should be imprisoned." Another user remarked, "I thought such bribery was no longer happening in India. Are we going backward?"

Reflections on Societal Values

Another individual posted on social media, stating, "This reflects our mentality as a nation. You might argue that it doesn't represent everyone, but the unfortunate truth is that it does. Whether directly or indirectly, it reveals our character. We have become so insensitive that even a death does not affect us; we normalize it."

Shared Experiences of Corruption

In a similar vein, another person shared their experience of having to pay ₹12,000 for a death certificate and other essential documents, highlighting the pervasive nature of corruption in such sensitive situations.