Bengaluru cops suspended after ex-CFO exposes bribery, harassment after daughter's death

Sivakumar’s post described how he was forced to pay bribes at multiple levels of Bengaluru’s civic and law enforcement machinery—from ambulance services to the police, crematorium staff, and the BBMP office for a death certificate.

“Recently, my only child passed away at age 34. The amount of open bribe being asked—by ambulance, police for FIR and post-mortem report, crematorium for giving receipt, BBMP office for death certificate—I paid,” he wrote. “The inspector of Bellandur police station was so arrogant, with no empathy to a father who lost his only child. Very sad state. I had money, I paid. What will the poor do?”

The post was made in response to a separate LinkedIn thread by a senior investment banker who had criticised Bengaluru’s infrastructure and governance. Sivakumar’s reply quickly went viral, prompting widespread outrage and calls for accountability.

A daughter remembered

In the now-deleted post, Sivakumar paid tribute to Akshaya, describing her as a passionate quizzer, origami artist, and painter. She was active on social media under the handles @Akshayas90 and @Akshayaasks, where she regularly posted quiz questions.

“She wanted to dedicate her life by retiring early for the blind,” he wrote. “I feel by donating her eyes, that journey has already started.”

BBMP chief responds

Responding to the viral post, BBMP's chief commissioner Maheshwar Rao told Moneycontrol that the civic body had taken steps to streamline death certificate issuance. “We sympathise and have created a system to ensure death certificates are issued online. Our corporation is committed to ensure that the bereaved are treated with courtesy and respect,” he said.