A social media post by K. Sivakumar, a retired Chief Financial Officer of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), has triggered widespread outrage and soul-searching over bureaucratic corruption after he revealed the ordeal he faced following his daughter’s death. In a now-deleted LinkedIn post, Sivakumar recounted the harrowing experience of dealing with officials and service providers after the untimely death of his 34-year-old daughter, Akshaya, in Bengaluru on September 18, 2025. Akshaya, an accomplished professional with a B. Tech in Computer Science and an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, had worked for 11 years — including eight years at Goldman Sachs — before passing away due to a brain hemorrhage, as per a report on NDTV.
Sivakumar wrote that he was forced to pay bribes at nearly every stage — from ambulance operators and police personnel to crematorium workers and officials at the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) — to complete the necessary post-death formalities. He also revealed that even when the family donated Akshaya’s eyes, they faced unethical demands. While the Sub-Inspector at the station treated them with compassion, Sivakumar alleged that the SI’s assistant demanded cash, noting that the absence of CCTV cameras in the area made accountability impossible, as per a report on The New Indian Express. The grieving father said he had to make five separate visits to obtain his daughter’s death certificate, describing the process as dehumanizing. In a bitter reflection, he appealed to prominent business leaders such as Narayana Murthy, Azim Premji, and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw to intervene and address the rot in public systems.
The emotional post, which quickly went viral before being deleted, has drawn widespread empathy from citizens and sharp criticism of systemic corruption. Malavika Avinash, BJP state vice president, expressed sympathy for Sivakumar and acknowledged that his story had struck a chord with the public.
