Grief and Graft: NHRC Takes Suo Motu Cognizance of Bribe Trail in Bengaluru Funeral Case
(By Syed Ali Taher Abedi)
New Delhi, November 4, 2025 — In a stern assertion of its statutory mandate to uphold human dignity and protect fundamental rights, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India, has taken suo motu cognizance of a deeply disturbing media report detailing the alleged extortion of a bereaved father during the funeral rites of his daughter in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
The report, published on October 30, 2025, recounts the ordeal of a 64-year-old grieving father who was allegedly compelled to pay bribes to an ambulance driver, police personnel, crematorium staff, and civic officials—each exploiting his vulnerable state during a moment of profound personal loss. What ought to have been a solemn and dignified farewell was reportedly marred by systemic corruption, bureaucratic callousness, and moral apathy.
Invoking its powers under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, the Commission has issued formal notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Karnataka, directing them to submit a comprehensive report on the matter within two weeks. The NHRC has underscored the gravity of the allegations, noting that such conduct—if substantiated—not only violates the principles of administrative propriety but also constitutes a breach of the citizen’s right to live and die with dignity.
The Commission’s intervention signals its continued vigilance against institutional misconduct and its commitment to ensuring accountability in cases where the vulnerable are subjected to indignity and exploitation. The matter is now under active consideration, and further action will be contingent upon the findings submitted by the concerned state authorities.
The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human rights. Therefore, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Karnataka, calling for a detailed report on the matter within two weeks.
Reportedly, an IIT Madras and IIM Ahmedabad graduate woman working in the city suffered a brain haemorrhage on 18th September, 2025. When the father called an ambulance after the death of his daughter, the ambulance driver apparently over-charged for the services. When he reported his daughter’s death to the police, they not only displayed a lack of empathy but gave copies of the FIR and post-mortem report only after a bribe was paid.
According to the media report, the deceased’s family donated the girl’s eyes before cremation. Money was again demanded at the crematorium, which the father paid. There was also a considerable delay in issuing a death certificate from Mahadevapura Municipal authorities. Despite intervention by a senior officer, the certificate was issued only after the father paid a bribe.
