It has been ten days since Kavya Poojary, a class X student of the prestigious Alva's High School in Moodbidri, was found dead mysteriously in her hostel room. Strongly suspecting it to be a case of murder, the parents and some students organisations have been demanding a thorough probe into it.
In fact, they are justified in their doubts for there are many questions that surround Kavya's death. For, even after ten days, the police have not established who first saw Kavya's body hanging in her hostel.
Also, Kavya had used a sari to hang herself. While Kavya's mother had clarified that Kavya did not carry a sari from her house, a statement from the institution's head Dr Mohan Alva to a television channel claimed that Kavya allegedly got the sari from a neighbour's room. Such uncertainity calls for serious consideration.
Also, technically, Kavya's death should have been informed to her parents by the hostel warden. But it is alleged that Kavya's Physical Education teacher was the one who informed her parents. The shocked parents, who rushed to the hostel, found that her body had already been lowered and shifted to the mortuary. Reports claim they were not allowed to see her body and this has given rise to further suspicions about her death.
Besides, why would Kavya, a national-level ball badminton player, be called out for 'practice' in the wee hours of 4.30 am? CCTV footage in the hostel shows Kavya wearing a track suit and going out of the room. But it is reported that the institution has no such rule for "early morning practice."
Although, school authorities are claiming that Kavya allegedly ended her life over a low score in her Hindi exam paper, the parents are not ready to buy it. They believe that Kavya was a sportsperson and she could have never ended her life over low marks in an exam.
While these questions lie unanswered, one is forced to wonder whether parents still consider sending their girls to Dakshina Kannada - a hub of education. For, Kavya's is not a lone case of a mysterious death being reported from this region.
A few years ago, Soujayna, a student of SDM College in Ujire was raped and murdered. After severe protests, the state government was forced to hand over the case to the CBI. While a man has been arrested in this case, Soujanya's parents still feel that they have been deprived of justice.
Such incidents in prestigious institutions known for their quality education certainly expose the threat of girls' safety in these institution. Will the State government take a note of it?