Retired BPCL CFO exposes bribe demands following daughter’s death, two cops suspended

A retired senior executive from Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has stirred nationwide outrage after recounting how he was forced to pay bribes to officials while dealing with the death of his daughter.

The incident has led to the suspension of two Bengaluru police officers and a wider debate over corruption in public service.

Sivakumar K, who served as BPCL’s Chief Financial Officer before retirement, shared his experience in an emotional LinkedIn post that quickly went viral before being deleted.

His daughter, Akshaya Sivakumar, an IIM Ahmedabad graduate, passed away in September.

In his post, Sivakumar described how, amid shock and grief, he had to make payments at nearly every stage – from arranging an ambulance to obtaining official paperwork and conducting the cremation.

According to his account, the ordeal began immediately after his daughter’s death. He was asked to pay Rs 3,000 to transport her body between hospitals in Bengaluru.

Later, during the post-mortem process, he said he faced rude and uncooperative behaviour from police officers. The process was only completed, he wrote, after he sought help from former colleagues who used their contacts to intervene.

Even after the post-mortem and cremation, Sivakumar alleged, the demands for money continued.

When he visited the local police station to collect copies of the FIR and post-mortem report, officers allegedly demanded a bribe openly inside the premises. He wrote that he later discovered there were no CCTV cameras installed in the section of the station where such payments were made.

His difficulties did not end with the police. Sivakumar said he had to visit the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) office for five consecutive days to secure the death certificate, only to be told that officials were unavailable due to a caste survey. Eventually, he was issued the document after paying more than the official fee.

“I had money, I paid. What will the poor do?” he wrote, a sentence that has since resonated widely across social media as a symbol of everyday corruption faced by ordinary citizens.

The Bengaluru Police responded swiftly after the post gained traction. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Whitefield) K. Parashurama confirmed that two officers – Police Sub-Inspector Santosh and Constable Gorakhnath, both attached to Bellandur Police Station – were suspended pending an internal inquiry.

The revelations sparked political reactions across Karnataka. Janata Dal (Secular) leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy called the incident “a reflection of a broken system” and urged the government to act decisively against all those involved. He pointed out that if a senior professional could be extorted in such a vulnerable moment, the poor would have no protection at all.

BJP MLA and Deputy Leader of the Opposition Arvind Bellad said the “heartbreaking” incident underscored how corruption had become institutionalised in the state. He criticised the ruling Congress government for failing to uphold accountability and described the actions of public officials as “cruel exploitation of a grieving father.” Bellad demanded comprehensive reforms to restore transparency and integrity within public institutions.

Public anger continues to build online, with many users sharing personal experiences of similar encounters with bureaucracy.