NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, FEB 14
T Kumar, a veteran photojournalist working for a news agency here was last night found hanging in the office, sources in the organisation said on Monday. A colleague found Kumar hanging from a ceiling hook in the agency’s office last night.
On information, police personnel arrived and they rushed the photographer to the Kilpauk Government Medical College Hospital where he was declared brought dead.
மறைந்த பத்திரிக்கை புகைப்பட கலைஞர் திரு.டி.குமார் அவர்களின் குடும்பத்தாருக்கு மாண்புமிகு முதலமைச்சர் @mkstalin அவர்கள் ஆறுதல் கூறி, ரூ. 3 இலட்சம் பத்திரிகையாளர் நல நிதியத்தில் இருந்து வழங்க உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளார். pic.twitter.com/p2gRtMH3RG
— CMOTamilNadu (@CMOTamilnadu) February 14, 2022
Following autopsy, the body was handed over to his family on Monday. Kumar was 56 and he is survived by wife, son and a daughter.
BUJ expresses shock and anger at the death by suicide of UNI journalist T Kumar. BUJ demands investigation into action of the UNI management and the circumstances leading to this tragic death, compensation to his family and immediate resolution of the issues of UNI staff. pic.twitter.com/Btl21uMpiM
— bujmedia (@bujmedia) February 14, 2022
Sources in the news outlet here said he was facing financial trouble and ‘backlog of salaries.’ A photojournalist with over 30 years experience, he rose through the ranks of the news agency to become its state bureau chief. He had joined the news agency in 1986 and he was the first photographer to become state head of the agency in Tamil Nadu.
Madras Press Club, Madras Reporters Guild and other jouranlists organisations condoled the death of the journalist. Madras Reporters Guild welcomes the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin’s announcement on compensation of Rs. 3 lakh to the next to the kin of the family of the journalist.
Suicide prevention helplines:
Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata).