EPFO Kochi pays withheld PF after man died by suicide for denial
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The Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) regional office in Kochi has released the long-withheld Provident Fund (PF) amount of a retired employee, K P Sivaraman, who ended his life at the office last month by consuming poison.
Sivaraman, 69, a former employee of Apollo Tyres, had been a regular visitor at the EPFO office for the past nine years, pursuing the release of his PF benefits that were kept on hold due to alleged technical issues. The EPFO officials reportedly demanded his school certificate, a requirement he was unable to fulfil, resulting in the denial of his rightful PF amount.
The incident occurred on February 7, prompting the Ernakulam district committee of the Provident Fund Pensioners Association to intervene. The association's general secretary, K J Alfred, revealed that after Sivaraman's demise, the EPFO took immediate action and paid the PF amount, totalling Rs 94,000, without insisting on the contentious school certificate or any additional documents.
Expressing their concern over such distressing incidents, the Provident Fund Pensioners Association has filed a petition in the Kerala High Court, urging comprehensive steps to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
The association is also seeking accountability and appropriate action against officials responsible for the prolonged withholding of PF benefits, which allegedly contributed to Sivaraman's tragic end.