Former Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) Chief Financial Officer K Sivakumar has sparked widespread outrage after revealing that he was allegedly forced to pay bribes at multiple levels of the system — from ambulance operators and police to crematorium and municipal staff — while performing the last rites of his 34-year-old daughter, Akshaya, who died of a brain haemorrhage in September.
In a now-deleted LinkedIn post, Sivakumar described his ordeal, writing:
“With no empathy for a father who lost his only child. Very sad state. I had money, I paid. What will the poor do.”
The post went viral, drawing public anger and prompting a response from the Karnataka government.
Action after public outrage
Following the post, Home Minister G Parameshwara announced that a police sub-inspector (PSI) and a constable from Bellandur Police Station had been suspended.
“The government will not be lenient to anyone accepting bribes in any department, including the police,” Parameshwara said.
However, citizens have voiced scepticism, calling the suspensions a token response and arguing that the incident reflects a deeper, systemic malaise that pervades all levels of administration.
‘Price-tag culture’ across departments
Residents and activists described Sivakumar’s experience as part of an entrenched “price-tag culture” — where official services often come at an unofficial cost.
From municipal offices to revenue and transport departments, citizens say bribes have become institutionalised. Transfers, clearances, and even basic services are said to be routinely monetised.
Sources allege that officers seeking lucrative postings pay large sums upfront. A retired police officer told TOI that inspectors pay between ₹50 lakh and ₹1 crore for prime postings, particularly in urban and enforcement roles. Similar trends are reported in departments linked to land, real estate, and licensing, where officials later recover these “investments” through bribes and commissions.
Structural flaws and political interference
Experts say corruption has become systemic due to weak oversight and political interference.
Vivek Menon, a campaigner for ethics in governance, said the issue runs deeper than individual misconduct.
“Low pay at the lower levels, absence of accountability, and deep political interference have normalised extortion in government functioning. Transfers and postings are used as rewards and punishments, turning governance into a trade,” he said.
Menon called for transparent posting systems, a stronger Lokayukta, and performance-based promotions linked to integrity records.
Former vice-chancellor Prof Harish Ramaswamy echoed the sentiment, adding that financial and political graft are interlinked.
“It is false to claim zero tolerance when the political class itself sustains the system. Reports like Dharmaveer and Auradkar have repeatedly recommended administrative and salary reforms, but there is no political will to act,” he said.
He added that unless postings are depoliticised and the bureaucracy gains institutional independence, zero-tolerance claims will remain “rhetoric rather than reform.”