Coir Board employee dies in Kochi, family alleges harrasment

Kochi: A 56-year-old Coir Board employee, who had alleged workplace harassment, died at a private hospital in Kochi on Monday after remaining unconscious for several days following a cerebral haemorrhage.

Jolly Madhu, a section officer at the Coir Board under the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, had been undergoing treatment after collapsing on January 31. Her family has alleged that Jolly, a cancer survivor and a widow, suffered severe workplace harassment at her office, which led to a cerebral haemorrhage caused by hypertension. Jolly was a resident of Chalikkavattom near Vennala in Kochi.

In a statement issued while she was hospitalised, her family claimed that high-ranking officials, including an administrative head, a secretary, and a chairman, repeatedly targeted her for opposing corrupt practices within the organisation. The tactics included unjust transfers, withholding her salary, and humiliating reviews of her health despite her well-documented medical struggles, the statement read.

In August 2024, despite her fragile post-cancer recovery, Jolly was transferred from the Coir Board’s headquarters in Kochi to Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh for a field job, her family said. This was in retaliation for her flagging irregularities in hiring and contracting practices. The family added that Jolly was unable to relocate due to health reasons and was denied medical leave. The family also claimed her salary was stopped in violation of the rules.

Jolly collapsed after being ordered to apologise to the chairman of the Coir Board, the statement read. "On January 30, the newly appointed secretary, tasked with resolving her complaint, ordered her to apologise to the chairman. The next morning, Jolly attempted to write a response seeking an exemption from this stressful confrontation. She wrote: 'Sir, I am scared and have no courage to speak to our Hon’ble chairman. I beg for your mercy.' She broke down before she could finish the letter. She suffered a cerebral haemorrhage and was rushed to the hospital, where she remains in a coma following a high-risk surgery," the statement read.

"She tried everything—writing to the President of India, the Prime Minister's Office, and the Human Rights Commission. The Minister of State for MSME offered to help, but no one assisted her. Instead, she was subjected to humiliating medical reviews, where even her well-documented health condition, approved by their own medical board, was questioned. The stress wore her down until her body could no longer withstand it," her son Mahesh Michael wrote on LinkedIn a day before he lost his mother. He also compared his mother's plight to that of Anna Sebastian, the young EY employee from Kochi who died last year allegedly due to workplace stress.

On February 5, while Jolly was in the hospital, her sons Mahesh and Milan wrote to the Coir Board secretary seeking medical leave for her. The letter mentioned the allegations of workplace harassment, including the denial of promotion, the sudden transfer, denial of medical leave, stoppage of pay, disciplinary communications, and threatening phone calls in retaliation for her complaint to the President. 

Jolly's family has yet to initiate legal action against the accused officials. "We will think about it and take a decision," Maijo Michael, Jolly's brother-in-law, told Onmanorama.

After the issue gained public attention, the Coir Board took steps to release her pending salary and cancel the transfer. However, the family said these eleventh-hour measures offered little comfort. 

Coir Board denies allegations
In a statement issued after Jolly's death, the Coir Board denied all the allegations against its officials. The Board termed the allegations baseless and stated that Jolly’s transfer was due to administrative exigencies.

"Due to her medical conditions, which came to light recently, her leave and leave salary were sanctioned, and her transfer was also cancelled. If any issues are identified within the Board, appropriate corrective measures will be taken," the chairman of the Coir Board said in the statement.