Coir Board employee’s death: Centre orders probe

Kochi: The Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises under the central government has ordered a probe into the death of Coir Board employee Jolly Madhu in Kochi. The 56-year-old woman who had alleged workplace harassment died at a private hospital in Kochi on Monday after remaining unconscious for several days following a cerebral haemorrhage.

As per the centre’s order, a three-member committee will conduct a probe and submit a report within 15 days. The probe was ordered after Jolly’s relatives alleged that she faced workplace harassment at the Coir Board headquarters in Kochi. 

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.