Young teacher ends life in Kerala after not receiving salary for 6 years

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A teacher in a Catholic-run school in Kozhikode, Kerala has ended her life after she was allegedly denied her salary for the last six years, the Indian Express reported.

According to the police, 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 3 pm on Wednesday.

Alina did not attend school on Wednesday and her phone was switched off. Minding her absence, the school authorities contacted her father and enquired about the matter.

Aleena’s family has alleged that the young working woman took the tragic step due to mental agony of not having received her salary for the last six years. According to her family, she 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. Her colleagues 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.