<p>A senior photojournalist working with a news agency was found dead at his office on Sunday night. </p>.<p>T Kumar, 56, who was working with the United News of India (UNI), died by suicide due to financial issues, people close to the journalist said. He is survived by his wife, a son, and a daughter. </p>.<p>Kumar, who worked with the news agency from 1986, was found hanging inside his office when his colleague came looking for him following a phone call from his family, which was worried as he did not return home till 11 pm. </p>.<p>The colleague informed the police after which Kumar was taken to the Kilpauk Medical College Hospital where he was declared dead. The journalist is understood to have had financial issues due to a “backlog of salaries” and his friends suspect this could be the reason for him taking the extreme step. </p>.<p>Chief Minister M K Stalin issued a statement expressing condolences on Kumar’s death and announced a solatium of Rs 3 lakh to his family. </p>.<p>UNI said a condolence meeting was held at the UNI headquarters in Delhi to pay tributes to the departed soul and that an amount of Rs one lakh was immediately sent to the family. “The management stands with the family in this hour of grief,” UNI said. </p>.<p>A senior member of the UNI management said the company has been trying to help Kumar after he sought financial help to take care of his wife’s treatment due to a fall. “Rs 50,000 was released in two instalments to Kumar’s family since September for his wife’s treatment. She suffered a fall in September 2021,” the senior member said. </p>.<p>When contacted, Ajay Kaul, Editor-in-Chief, UNI said it was extremely painful that the organisation lost one of its journalists in such a manner. “We all are in a state of shock. There's no denying that UNI has been going through financial distress and we are making earnest efforts to address the situation,” he said. </p>.<p>The Brihanmumbai Union of Journalists (BUJ) and the Press Club of India (PCI) expressed shock and anger at the tragic death of Kumar. </p>.<p>“The BUJ grieves with his family and with his colleagues and stands in solidarity with them in this hour of sorrow. The BUJ learnt that Mr Kumar had sought financial assistance against his own pending dues to pay for the medical treatment of his wife, who had met with an accident a few months ago. Only a paltry sum of Rs 25,000 was sanctioned against the Rs One lakh he had sought,” the BUJ claimed in a statement.</p>.<p>PCI demanded a thorough probe and full financial compensation to the deceased journalist’s family.</p>.<p><strong>Check out latest DH videos here</strong></p>
<p>A senior photojournalist working with a news agency was found dead at his office on Sunday night. </p>.<p>T Kumar, 56, who was working with the United News of India (UNI), died by suicide due to financial issues, people close to the journalist said. He is survived by his wife, a son, and a daughter. </p>.<p>Kumar, who worked with the news agency from 1986, was found hanging inside his office when his colleague came looking for him following a phone call from his family, which was worried as he did not return home till 11 pm. </p>.<p>The colleague informed the police after which Kumar was taken to the Kilpauk Medical College Hospital where he was declared dead. The journalist is understood to have had financial issues due to a “backlog of salaries” and his friends suspect this could be the reason for him taking the extreme step. </p>.<p>Chief Minister M K Stalin issued a statement expressing condolences on Kumar’s death and announced a solatium of Rs 3 lakh to his family. </p>.<p>UNI said a condolence meeting was held at the UNI headquarters in Delhi to pay tributes to the departed soul and that an amount of Rs one lakh was immediately sent to the family. “The management stands with the family in this hour of grief,” UNI said. </p>.<p>A senior member of the UNI management said the company has been trying to help Kumar after he sought financial help to take care of his wife’s treatment due to a fall. “Rs 50,000 was released in two instalments to Kumar’s family since September for his wife’s treatment. She suffered a fall in September 2021,” the senior member said. </p>.<p>When contacted, Ajay Kaul, Editor-in-Chief, UNI said it was extremely painful that the organisation lost one of its journalists in such a manner. “We all are in a state of shock. There's no denying that UNI has been going through financial distress and we are making earnest efforts to address the situation,” he said. </p>.<p>The Brihanmumbai Union of Journalists (BUJ) and the Press Club of India (PCI) expressed shock and anger at the tragic death of Kumar. </p>.<p>“The BUJ grieves with his family and with his colleagues and stands in solidarity with them in this hour of sorrow. The BUJ learnt that Mr Kumar had sought financial assistance against his own pending dues to pay for the medical treatment of his wife, who had met with an accident a few months ago. Only a paltry sum of Rs 25,000 was sanctioned against the Rs One lakh he had sought,” the BUJ claimed in a statement.</p>.<p>PCI demanded a thorough probe and full financial compensation to the deceased journalist’s family.</p>.<p><strong>Check out latest DH videos here</strong></p>
