Kerala Shocker: Woman Officer at Coir Board Dies in Kochi; Family Alleges Workplace Harassment As She Denies Medical Leave
Kochi, February 10: The death of a 56-year-old woman officer at the Coir Board here has sparked controversy after her family alleged that workplace harassment led to her illness and subsequent death. Jolly Madhu (56), a Section Officer at the Coir Board and a resident of Vennala, passed away at a private hospital, where she had been undergoing treatment for a cerebral hemorrhage, according to hospital sources. Lalichan, a relative of the deceased, told the media that she had faced severe workplace harassment.
“Despite having medical reports from an authorized medical board confirming her poor health, she was denied medical leave, forcibly transferred from Kochi to a field job in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, and even had her salary withheld,” he alleged. Jolly had joined the Coir Board, a Central Government PSU, 30 years ago as an LDC (Lower Division Clerk) and was later promoted to Junior Stenographer, Hindi Translator, and eventually Section Officer. Workplace Violence in Pune: Man Kills Colleague With Chopper Over Monetary Dispute at WNS Global Services in Yerwada, Arrested (Watch Video).
According to her relatives, Jolly collapsed at home on January 31, 2024. Her family had lodged a complaint with the Secretary of the Board, alleging that Board officials are responsible for her untimely death. However, the Coir Board, in a press release, refuted the allegations, calling them “baseless”. “The Coir Board has 46 establishments across India for the development and promotion of the Coir Industry. Transfers of officials are made based on administrative exigencies to achieve the desired outcomes,” said the statement issued by the Coir Board Chairman.
Jolly joined the Coir Board on February 9, 1996, as an LDC. She was later promoted to Junior Stenographer, Hindi Translator, and eventually Section Officer. Except for a brief period from November 15, 2010, to May 1, 2012, when she worked as a Hindi Translator in Alappuzha, she was continuously stationed at the Coir Board Head Office in Kochi, the release stated. HC on Workplace Harassment: Any Unwelcome Behaviour at Workplace Is Sexual Harassment Irrespective of Harasser’s Intent, Says Madras High Court.
She was transferred to the Regional Office in Rajahmundry due to administrative requirements, it added. Her medical conditions came to the Board’s notice recently, after which her leave and leave salary were sanctioned, and her transfer order was cancelled, the statement said. The Coir Board further stated that if any issues within the Board are identified, appropriate corrective measures will be taken.
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