Unpaid dues push contractor to end life

BANGALORE: Suresh M, 32, an electrical sub-contractor, on Wednesday committed suicide in his house in Amruthahalli, North Bangalore, after a fire safety management company for which he worked failed to clear his dues.
The tragedy prompted a protest by the dead man's friends and relatives before the office of the defaulting company, in Indiranagar, later in the day.
Suresh, who owned an electrical contract firm, was found hanging from the ceiling of his house. When the company didn't pay up his dues of Rs 3.5 lakh, Suresh raised a bank loan to pay his employees. His family members said this pushed Suresh to suicide.
Suresh's family members, who came to Bangalore from Palakkad to receive the body, approached the All India Malayalee Association in Bangalore. Together, they staged a protest in front of the company in Indiranagar. As the crowd swelled, police intervened to bring the situation under control.
The association members negotiated with the company and got it to pay the Rs 3.5 lakh it owed Suresh, besides another Rs 3 lakh as compensation.
"Suresh was the only breadwinner of his family in Kerala. It was clear the company drove him to suicide," said a member of the association.
Indiranagar police said once the company agreed to clear his dues and pay compensation, the family came to a compromise and didn't lodge a complaint.