3 Pathanamthitta DEO staff suspended after teacher’s salary delay led to husband's death

Pathanamthitta: Three employees at the Pathanamthitta District Education Office (DEO) have been suspended for allegedly delaying the salary dues of a school teacher, which is believed to have contributed to the death of her husband in Athikkayam. The Director of General Education has also ordered the suspension of the school’s headmistress pending an inquiry.

NG Anilkumar, PA at the DEO, S Firoz, Superintendent, and R Bini, Section Clerk, were suspended for closing the relevant file without follow-up action and delaying a decision on the headmistress’s application regarding salary disbursement.

Education department officials visited the school and collected a new application, stating that the necessary documents had not been received earlier. A fresh request was submitted on Monday for the disbursal of 12 years’ salary arrears owed to Lekha, a UP section teacher at an aided school. Her husband, V T Shijo (47), a VFPCK driver, died last week at Athikkayam. Officials claimed the file was held up due to errors in the initial application.

There are strong allegations that bureaucratic delays—even after intervention from the Education Minister—led to Shijo’s death. The Kerala High Court had last month ordered that Lekha’s arrears be paid within three months. When no action followed, the family approached Education Minister V Sivankutty, who issued a written directive—allegedly ignored by DEO staff. The Minister confirmed his intervention via social media.

Local CPM leaders from Ranni also tried to resolve the issue. “When we asked about the file’s progress, DEO staff told us, ‘Let the Minister do it himself,’” said Shijo’s father, V N Thyagarajan, a district committee member of the Karshaka Sangham.