BENGALURU: A grieving 64-year-old father was made to pay bribes at every step — to an ambulance driver, police, crematorium staff, and civic officials — all while mourning the death of his only daughter. What should have been a solemn farewell turned into a nightmare of corruption, bureaucracy, and inhumanity.
Akshaya Sivakumar (34), an IIT Madras and IIM Ahmedabad graduate who worked in the city, died of a brain haemorrhage on September 18, hours after father, Sivakumar K, a former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of a central PSU, and his 63-year-old wife Sugantha had arrived from Mumbai to be with her.
In a detailed LinkedIn post, Sivakumar shared his ordeal after a month his daughter’s death, writing that he wanted to “share with everyone the state of affairs when one loses their dear one.” He described how he had to deal with corruption and apathy from multiple agencies.
He wrote, “The ambulance guy said pay Rs 5,000 for taking her from one hospital in Kasavanahalli to St John’s in Koramangala. Police were so rude, especially the inspector, when his juniors said we can go ahead with the post-mortem.” He said the inspector’s attitude changed only after his former employer “pulled the right strings.”
After the post-mortem, the family donated Akshaya’s eyes before cremation. “At the cremation ground, they demanded money, which we paid. Then, since the police had to give copies of the FIR and post-mortem report, we met after four days, and they openly demanded cash inside the police station, which I paid,” he wrote. He alleged there were no CCTV cameras in the area where the bribe was taken, making accountability impossible. While the Sub-Inspector behaved respectfully, he alleged that the SI's assistant was the one demanding cash.
He further wrote that, he had to visit for five consecutive days to obtain his daughter’s death certificate. “I was told no one is in the office due to the caste survey. Then I approached a top official, and the certificate was issued only after paying more than the official charges.”
Expressing anguish, Sivakumar added “I had money, so I paid. But what will the poor do? Do the police have family or feelings to demand bribes and speak so rudely when a person is already in trauma and emotional turmoil? I am 64 years old. Can Bengaluru be saved from anarchy?”
He further wondered whether influential leaders and philanthropists such as Narayana Murthy, Azim Premji, and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw could intervene to reform the system, saying bitterly, “They talk a lot, but…”
His post, which went viral, was later deleted under alleged pressure. According to family members, the ambulance driver initially demanded Rs 3,000 to shift the body but later sought an additional Rs 2,000. The police allegedly demanded Rs 10,000 to conduct the post-mortem, claiming there was “foul play” in the death. After Sivakumar’s former employer intervened, the police initiated the post-mortem, and the family paid Rs 5,000 at the Bellandur police station to receive the report. They also paid Rs 2,000 at the Mahadevapura (Bengaluru East City Corporation) office for the death certificate.
Speaking to TNIE, DCP Whitefield K Parashurama said a preliminary investigation has been initiated based on the post. “Based on the findings, further action will be taken,” he said, adding that the allegations involve multiple agencies and it needs a detailed probe. The police are likely to question Siva Kumar as part of the inquiry.
