Kerala teacher who wasn’t paid 5 years of salary, dies by suicide

KOZHIKODE: A teacher with an aided LP school was found hanging at her house in Kattipara near Kozhikode in a suspected case of suicide.

Police said Aleena Benny, 30, who had been working at St Joseph's LP School Kodenchery, which is run by the Thamarassery Diocese Corporate Management, was found hanging from the roof of her bedroom around 3pm on Wednesday.

Family alleged Aleena took the extreme step due to mental agony of not having received her salary for the last five years.

Aleena had worked for four years at Kattipara Holy Family LP School which is also under the Thamarassery diocese corporate management. Family members said they had paid Rs 13 lakh to the management years ago for the job but she did not receive a single rupee as salary.

"She was first given an appointment at Kattipara school but the teacher who served earlier in the post returned with a claim for it and the matter was taken up with the director of public instruction. Later the corporate management appointed her at the Kodenchery St Joseph's LP School but she did not get the salary as the management failed to get approval for the posting," Aleena's father Benny said adding that the management did not provide documents to the govt in time.

Family said she was even made to give an undertaking by the management that she did not require the salary and benefits for her service at Kattipara school.

Benny said PTA of the school had been giving her Rs 3,000 to meet her conveyance expenses.

Meanwhile, Catholic Teachers Guild said in a statement that it was negligence and mismanagement on the part of the education department authorities which led to the non-approval of her appointment.


Stay updated with breaking news, bank holidays and upcoming public holidays in march.