Mananthavady: The last message left behind by Sub-Regional Transport Office (SRTO) employee P A Sindhu who killed herself over alleged mental harassment by colleagues reveals she was being pestered to condone their corruption.
The police recovered her diary and tell-all notes extending to eight pages from her room. She has referred to the constant harassment at the hands of her senior officers and bribes being taken by some of her colleagues.
“I have not been able to understand the dishonesty of others. If you don’t take bribes then you will never be at ease. I cried and prayed to God to save my job. I fear losing my job,” the notes state.
“Special training is required for getting into service in the Motor Vehicles Department. If you are not game for corruption then don’t stay in government service," read a few other lines in her diary.
Sindhu, who was the senior clerk at the SRTO at Mananthavady, killed herself a few days ago unable to cope with the harassment by colleagues and work pressures.
Brother on the toxic office atmosphere
Sindhu’s brother Nobil said senior officials had deliberately dumped certain files and burdened her with assignments that were beyond her capacity to deal with. A section of colleagues who met RTO E Mohandas along with Sindhu with the complaint regarding harassment, said that the circumstances in the office were not conducive for smooth work. The colleagues said that they had conveyed to the senior officer who had come to enquire about the complaints that there was factionalism in the office which was leading to mental harassment and stress.
“I will be stuck if someone pushes me down from a cliff. I will get isolated if someone pushes me down. I will die without food. Hence I am terrified and I am bidding goodbye to this world,” these were the last lines in the note recovered from Sindhu’s room.
“My family members are innocent,” she also wrote in the diary.
The investigation officials are examining Sindhu’s laptop and phone to find out the circumstances which led to her death.
Claims of Panchayat president, neighbour
Edavaka panchayat president H B Pradeep said that some people had seen a section of officers humiliating Sindhu in office. There are allegations that a senior officer had abused her loudly.
Sindhu’s neighbour and farmer Johnson Kunnumpurath said that he had seen Sindhu rushing out of the office in tears. On March 30, he went to the RTO office to get some documents for the auto-rickshaw. He was accompanied by the agent who had got the work done.
“I heard a loud voice inside the office while standing outside the building. Some officials were speaking in a high tone. It was not clear what he was saying. But after some time I saw Sindhu coming out of the office carrying her bag. She was crying profusely,” said Johnson.
