Minister orders inquiry after Malappuram auto driver’s death by suicide

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Transport Minister C.P. John on Thursday directed Transport Commissioner Nagaraju Chakilam to submit a report on the death by suicide of a 35-year-old auto-rickshaw driver from Malappuram, who had alleged that the Motor Vehicles Department’s refusal to clear his vehicle had ruined his livelihood.

The driver, Shoukath of Mundamparamba in Kizhisseri, was found dead at his house on Thursday. Police have registered a case and begun an investigation.

Hours before his death, Shoukath posted a message on Facebook claiming that he had been made to run from office to office for nearly 10 months to obtain a fitness certificate for his auto-rickshaw. He alleged that officials had refused to issue the certificate because he had not approached them through an intermediary.

According to the post, the auto-rickshaw was the only source of income for his family. With the vehicle remaining off the road, he said he was unable to repay the loan taken to buy it and was pushed into mounting financial hardship.

Shoukath alleged that he was denied fitness clearance after refusing to pay a bribe. He claimed that the MVD’s actions had destroyed his means of earning and held the department responsible for his condition.

He also alleged that officials might later contend that modifications, including steel work on the vehicle, made it ineligible for certification. However, he claimed the same vehicle had been issued fitness certificates by the department twice in the past.

In his Facebook post, Shoukath accused the agent network operating around MVD offices of facilitating corruption. He argued that removing intermediaries from the vehicle-certification process would help address widespread irregularities.

He appealed to the government and the High Court to examine the issue, and urged vehicle owners and the public to use the Right to Information Act to seek accountability from government departments.

The incident sparked protests by motor workers’ unions and local residents, who demanded a detailed probe into the allegations. They called for action against officials if any wrongdoing is established and renewed demands for the abolition of the agent system at MVD offices.

The Minister’s intervention marks the first formal response from the state government. The case has again raised concerns over alleged delays, middlemen and corruption in the state’s vehicle fitness-testing process.

[For those in dire distress, help is available from Thanal Suicide Prevention Centre 0495-2760000]

(Inputs from IANS)