Bengaluru shame! Grieving father pays bribes from ambulance to crematorium for daughter’s last rites

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A senior corporate executive’s tragic experience following his daughter’s death has ignited a fierce public debate over deeply entrenched corruption within Bengaluru’s administrative machinery, revealing a system where even the most basic services carry a price tag.

According to a report by TOI, K Sivakumar, a former chief financial officer of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), was allegedly forced to pay bribes at every step to complete the last rites for his 34-year-old daughter, Akshaya, who died of a brain haemorrhage in September. The harrowing ordeal, from dealing with ambulance operators and police to crematorium and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) staff, was detailed in a since-deleted LinkedIn post.

“With no empathy for a father who lost his only child. Very sad state. I had money, I paid. What will the poor do,’’ Sivakumar wrote. His post, which went viral, prompted public outrage and compelled Home Minister G Parameshwara to respond. The minister asserted that the government would not be lenient towards anyone accepting bribes and subsequently suspended a police sub-inspector and a constable from the Bellandur station.

However, as per TOI report, this official action has been met with widespread scepticism, with citizens and analysts viewing the incident not as an isolated lapse but as a symptom of a pervasive malaise.

The report suggests that a ‘price tag’ culture has become institutionalised, permeating municipal offices, revenue departments and regional transport offices. Transfers, licences, clearances and essential services often come at a cost.

This corruption is reportedly fuelled by a parallel economy within the government, where officials are alleged to pay hefty sums for lucrative postings. Sources indicate that police inspectors seeking prime assignments spend between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore. Similar practices are reported in the revenue and urban development departments, where plum posts linked to land, real estate, or enforcement command high prices. These positions then become instruments to recoup and multiply the initial “investment” through systemic bribery and kickbacks.

Despite a 2006 Supreme Court directive mandating independent police establishment boards to curb political interference, reforms have largely remained unimplemented. A recently retired police officer admitted that transparency and fixed tenures remain significant challenges. Frequent reshuffles, interference via ‘recommendations’ and politically motivated transfers continue to erode institutional integrity.

Experts argue that the problem is structural. Vivek Menon, a campaigner for ethics in politics, was cited by TOI as saying that corruption stems from deep-seated flaws. “Low pay at the lower levels, absence of accountability and deep political interference have normalised extortion in govt functioning. Transfers and postings are used as rewards and punishments, turning governance into a trade,” he said. Menon advocates for a transparent posting system, a strengthened Lokayukta and linking promotions to integrity records.

Echoing this sentiment, Prof Harish Ramaswamy, a former vice-chancellor, stated that financial and political graft are interdependent. He added that the entire governance structure is caught in a cycle where corruption has become transactional, as cited by TOI.

According to Prof Ramaswamy, the government's promise of zero tolerance will remain mere rhetoric unless official postings are depoliticised and the bureaucracy achieves genuine institutional independence.