Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (AM)
Mangaluru, Jul 29: Friends Ballalbagh Biruver Kudla, a registered social service organization, on Saturday, July 29, demanded a detailed inquiry by CBI into the 'suspicious' death of Kavya Poojary in Alva's high school hostel. The death has been termed as suicide by the police, however, Kavya's parents and some organizations have expressed suspicions of foul play.
Addressing mediapersons at a private hotel here, Sanketh Poojary, member of Biruver Kudla said, "Many such incidents have taken place in our district. And many of them have remained unsolved. Kavya’s death, which is stated by police and many others as suicide has to be inquired. Police themselves are not sure if Kavya had committed suicide or was murdered. They said that she had committed suicide as she had not got expected marks in a subject. This is not at all possible as she was a courageous sportswoman.
"The voice recording of her final call to her parents clearly suggests that she was not in any kind of mental trauma. Why did the police shift her body to the mortuary before her parents reached to the spot? They were not even given a chance to have a look at her. Police have not followed the normal procedure of shifting the body to a government hospital for post-mortem. The police even said that the saree she used to hang herself belonged to one of the parents who stayed in her room. Who is that parent? Why has she not given any statement on this incident?" he questioned.
"Kavya in her call to her parents has clearly told that the physical training director had called her at 4:30 am the next day for practice. But the institution has dismissed it saying that there is no training at 4:30 am. Kavya was wearing track suit when she was discovered dead in the room. The CCTV footage does not show Kavya entering the hostel. It was just a month-and-a-half since she joined the college. We want Alva's Education Foundation to co-operate in the investigation. We also want a CBI inquiry in this issue. There are so many unanswered questions which have to be solved. We will be forced to hold protests in the coming days if inquiry is not held," he added.
Sahana, member of Biruver Kudla said, "Our fight is not for only this girl. As many as three girls have died under mysterious circumstances in this college from 2013. Kavya is the third one. We want put a full stop to these deaths which have remained unsolved for long. We have nothing against chairman of Alva's Education Foundation, Dr Mohan Alva. All we want is a clean and transparent inquiry to give justice to Kavya’s parents. We want the college to co-operate. The physical training director should be thoroughly inquired.
"According to a few media reports, the college said that Kavya could have wrongly informed her parents that the physical training director had called her at 4:30 am. But if you listen the call recording, it is very clear that she was asking her parents if she could wake up that early. Her parents too are heard asking if she wants an alarm clock. That proves that the physical training director had indeed called her at 4:30 am. The college should also make the CCTV footages public so that the matter is clear," she added.
On a query why Biruver Kudla did not raise the issue for a week, Sahana said, "We were waiting for the police to complete the investigation so that we could have the result. But the police have not done anything to find the culprit out. They have outrightly declared this as a suicide. There are so many questions without answers here. Yes, there are so many investigating agencies in the state. But, have they solved any such cases and delivered justice? Therefore, we want a detailed inquiry by CBI into this matter."
It may be recalled that Kavya (16), an SSLC student and a state-level badminton player, had reportedly committed suicide at her hostel room in Moodbidri near here on the evening of July 20.
In the case filed in Moodbidri police station, it is mentioned that the student had resorted to this extreme step as she was depressed by the low marks she had scored in the recent examination. However, the parents of the girl have made some serious allegations about the behaviour of the officials of the institution, as well suspected the involvement of physical training director of the college in Kavya's death.
Vidya Rakesh, secretary, Biruver Kudla Women's Wing; Sharath Poojary, president, Biruver Kudla Bajpe zone; Ganesh, president, Biruver Kudla Bantwal Zone; members Pranesh Bangera, Vijesh, and Rakesh Poojary were present.