The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Employee’s suicide: court pulls up cooperative society

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 23, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Employee’s suicide: court pulls up cooperative society

K.T. Sangameswaran

CHENNAI: Three years after a woman employee of a cooperative society committed suicide after desperation over a legal battle for 15 years, the society on Monday handed over a cheque for Rs.1.01 lakh, towards her back wages and leave salary, to her daughter.

It was a sorry state of affairs that cooperative societies should consistently defy and drive employees to desperation which even cost the precious life of an individual, Justice K. Chandru observed in his order.

Nalini Jayanthi, who was employed as Senior Clerk in the Triplicane Cooperative Credit Society Limited was dismissed in June 1991. On her appeal, the Deputy Commissioner of Labour (Appeal), Chennai, set aside the termination by its order in February 1993.

Though she sent letters that she was ready to report for duty, the society did not allow her to rejoin duty. She was forced to file a petition before the Labour Court here claiming the benefit of the appellate authority’s order.

The Labour Court computed her back wages and leave salary amounting to Rs.1.01 lakh by its order dated September 1998.

Against the order, the cooperative credit society management filed a writ petition. In his order, Mr. Chandru said the appellate authority’s order was not challenged by the management. Pending writ petition, the High Court by an order dated April 1999 directed the society to deposit a sum of Rs.1 lakh in a fixed deposit with Indian Overseas Bank, Esplande Branch, within six weeks.

The bank was directed to renew the deposit and Nalini Jayanthi was permitted to withdraw the interest accrued. The society did not comply with the order.

The woman, having succeeded before two forums, could not enjoy the fruits of the orders of the court. She moved the government, which, by an order in March 2005, issued a certificate and directed the Chennai Collector to recover the amount from the society.

Having fought the legal battle for over 15 years and been driven to desperation, the woman committed suicide on June 6, 2005. She left a suicide note in which she expressed desperation at 15 years of litigation not yielding any benefit.

She had to struggle to save her daughter. She said after her death, the amount should be given to her daughter Hari Priya.

Following a directive by Mr. Justice Chandru, the Special Officer (SO) appeared before the court and promised that she would take steps to settle the matter. When the matter was taken up on Monday, the SO handed over a cheque for Rs.1.01 lakh to counsel for the woman’s daughter. The court dismissed the writ petition as infructuous.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu