UNI photojournalist found dead in newsroom, ‘faced financial trouble, salary backlog’

A veteran photojournalist was allegedly found dead in his office at the United News of India in Chennai last night, sources confirmed. A colleague had found T Kumar’s body in the newsroom on Sunday night, according to the Press Trust of India.

As per the PTI report, sources in the news organisation said that Kumar was facing financial trouble and an alleged “backlog of salaries”. The 56-year-old is survived by his wife, son, and a daughter. He had joined the news agency in 1986.

Police personnel arrived at the scene and took Kumar to the Kilpauk Government Medical College Hospital where he was declared dead. The body was handed over to his family today, after the autopsy.

Speaking to Newslaundry, sources in UNI claimed that salaries have remained inconsistent and Kumar had not been receiving his full salary over the last 60 months. “My salary is over 50,000 but I get only around Rs 15,000,” a journalist working with the news agency alleged.