Kochi, Aug 4 A 47-year-old man in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala died by suicide, allegedly after a prolonged financial crisis that prevented him from paying for his son's engineering college admission, local authorities and relatives said on Monday.
The deceased, identified as V.T. Shijo, a resident of Ranni, about 100 km south-east of Kochi, was found hanging in the Moongampara forest area in the district on Sunday evening, according to officials.
The tragic incident allegedly occurred after he failed to arrange funds for his son’s admission to an engineering college in Tamil Nadu. He had reportedly secured admission in the college.
Another reason is said to be the non-payment of salary to Shijo's wife, Lekha Raveendran, a school teacher, for more than 12 years.
The family members of the victim stated that despite a Kerala High Court order directing the education department to release the salary of Shijo with retrospective effect, the alleged bureaucratic delays and a lack of action from the district education office resulted in the funds never reaching the family.
Reportedly, the school management reached out to the district education office to facilitate the release of Lekha's salary, but their inquiries evoked no response.
"He was under immense stress as the family was unable to secure the money needed for his son’s college admission in Erode, Tamil Nadu," a relative told reporters on Monday.
This latest case underscores a concerning pattern of suicides in Kerala attributed to financial distress. In recent years, the state has witnessed several similar tragedies, including those tied to loan recovery proceedings and agricultural debt.
Last year, a family of four in Vakkam, Thiruvananthapuram, died by suicide, with the police suspecting financial difficulties and overwhelming debt as the cause behind the tragedy.
Similarly, a farmer in Alappuzha took his own life, blaming mounting debts and a lack of support for the farmers. Observers said such incidents highlight the persistent economic challenges faced by many families in the state.
The case of Shijo’s wife, who was a government-approved teacher but was not paid for over a decade, has raised questions about the efficiency and responsiveness of the public administration system.
Shijo's death has prompted demands for an immediate and thorough investigation into the administrative failures that compounded the family's financial hardship.
The deceased was the son of Thyagarajan, a district committee member of the Karshaka Sangham, a farmers' organisation.
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