{
  "id": 17319435,
  "title": "Counting months and bribes to a death certificate",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/counting-months-and-bribes-to-a-death-certificate",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-31T01:39:31.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/counting-months-and-bribes-to-a-death-certificate-10944154/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The death certificate process for an elderly woman, whose sibling was caring for her, proved to be an arduous and expensive ordeal. After the woman's passing, her brother sought to obtain the death certificate, which is typically issued by the Municipal Corporation in the event of a death at home. However, the process was fraught with complications and bribery.\n\nThe brother initially encountered difficulties as his contact at the Municipal Corporation had been transferred to another building. He then paid a lawyer Rs 5,000, but the lawyer could not secure the certificate due to the delayed application. The brother then sought assistance from a member of the RWA (Residents' Welfare Association) of his locality, who had recently obtained his father's death certificate. They approached a municipal councillor, who provided forms to fill out. The octogenarian, however, was hesitant to continue the process and eventually resorted to hiring a driver to help her.\n\nThe driver directed the octogenarian to the man who ultimately secured her death certificate. However, this man had left his position, but he connected her with his replacement. The necessary documents were submitted, including the doctor's death certificate, the crematorium certificate, and the deceased's Aadhaar card, along with an application for the death certificate. The replacement demanded Rs 12,000, which the octogenarian paid as an advance, agreeing to pay the remaining balance upon receipt of the certificate.\n\nDespite submitting the requisite documents, the death certificate did not arrive as expected. The man who had taken Rs 6,000 as an advance informed the octogenarian that he was occupied with the SIR (Senior Investigating Officer) and that she would need to be patient. The octogenarian then contacted a person with connections at the Common Services Centre, who assured her that the death certificate would be obtained for Rs 4,000. However, she was left with no choice but to pay this amount, and the certificate was eventually received in September, nine months after her death.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Elderly woman's death certificate process was costly and complex.",
    "Brother paid lawyer Rs 5,000, then RWA member helped.",
    "Final death certificate received 9 months after death."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The reliance on intermediaries and unofficial payments to navigate municipal bureaucracy highlights how systemic inefficiencies force grieving families into expensive and prolonged cycles of corruption to secure basic documentation.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}