Meet Dr Kiran Jeevan, the Bengaluru professor who sued BBMP over poor roads and won hearts

Dr Kiran Jeevan, former professor of social work at St Joseph's University in Bengaluru, who sent a legal notice to the BBMP seeking Rs 50 lakh in compensation and an additional Rs 10,000 for legal expenses. (Image credit: Moneycontrol)

Bengaluru professor Dr Kiran Jeevan, 43, made headlines earlier this week when he sent a legal notice to the city's civic body, BBMP, for its inability to provide good roads and demanded Rs 50 lakh compensation for the physical and mental pain that commuting over pothole-riddled roads caused him. But the decision wasn't a sudden one. Dr Jeevan tried getting help from the BBMP for almost three years before finally deciding to sue it.

Speaking to Moneycontrol, the former professor of social work at St Joseph's University said that he spent countless letters and emails and even visited the BBMP office to request road repair works, but he did not receive any response from the officials. Over this period, commuting over crater-filled roads multiple times a day to college and for his social work calls, Dr Jeevan developed spondylitis, which caused him debilitating pain. He had to make four emergency visits to the hospital to relieve acute pain and has been taking painkillers and other medications to manage the condition.

"Every time I travel on the road, it triggers a lot of pain in the neck," he said. "I didn't know what the reason was, but then my orthopedic said bad roads were responsible for it." He added that after three years' worth of attempts to seek help from the authorities did not yield results, he had reached his saturation point and decided to act against the BBMP. "I am a tax-paying citizen of Bengaluru, I love the city. This is my home, but why should I suffer for the civic body's inaction? It's unfair," Dr Jeevan said.

He added that he discussed the matter with his colleagues at St Joseph's University, senior citizens, and lawyers before filing the lawsuit. "To my surprise, everybody stood by me," the professor said.

Dr Jeevan also recalled a time when an auto he was travelling in got stuck while driving over a pothole. "It just could not get out. I had to step out of the vehicle, and only then could it be pushed out of the crater," he told Moneycontrol.

Response to massive support from citizens across the country

There has been a massive outpouring of support on social media after Dr Jeevan's story went viral on social media. While online commentators from Bengaluru have been lauding the decision, those from other cities too have been praising the professor's gall while mulling if they too should take similar steps against their civic authorities. Some even said they would try and help the professor in his legal battle by crowd-sourcing funds to cover legal expenses. Dr Jeevan said that the reaction from the public has been unexpected but "very motivating".

I think more people should come forward to sue the bbmp like this in bulk https://t.co/DXmSf91tFM
Alone Mussk (@actualycitizen1) May 21, 2025

"I feel very motivated, very inspired," he told Moneycontrol. "I did not know that the legal notice would create this sort of a buzz, and now I hear that even in Mumbai people are talking about this. I feel a lot of people think that we can't take a stand on these matters, but I thought enough is enough and decided to do something about it. I am very happy about the support I am getting from across the country."

It's not just strangers on the internet who have been reaching out to Dr Jeevan, his students too have offered him help and support. "I have taught a lot of students in my 15 years as a professor, you won't believe how many students have messaged me, since I filed the legal notice, saying that 'Sir, we are with you in this matter, please go ahead with it'," he said.

Messages sent to Dr Kiran Jeevan by his students after the news of his legal notice against the BBMP went viral. (Image credit: Moneycontrol)

Plans for the way forward

Dr Jeevan said that the BBMP has been given 15 days to comply to respond to his legal notice. He will proceed with legal action depending upon the civic body's response, but there's no way that he's backing out of the matter now. "I am not going to let this die. We should take this forward," he said.

Details of the legal notice sent to BBMP

In his legal notice, the Richmond Town resident stated that "despite being a tax-paying citizen with a right to safe public infrastructure, he has been subjected to continuous physical hardship and mental agony as a result of BBMP's blatant failure to maintain basic civic infrastructure".

Dr Jeevan said that he has been in so much pain that he has lost sleep over it, affecting his well-being, daily functioning, and personal and professional commitments. He is also unable to use autos and two-wheelers.

"Due to BBMP's gross negligence and failure in discharging its public duty, he is undergoing continuing physical agony, emotional trauma, and financial burden, therefore he demands a compensation of Rs 50 lakh for medical expenses (past and anticipated), emotional distress and mental anguish, physical suffering and loss of normal life, costs of travel for medical consultations," the legal notice stated, demanding an additional Rs 10,000 to cover the legal charges.