mangalore today

Kavya’s death, child rights panel report ‘leaked’


Mangalore Today News Network

Moodbidri, Aug 29, 2017: Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) probing the mysterious death of 15-year-old Kavya Poojary, a class X student of Alva’s High School, Moodbidri, has the report been leaked?


Alvas collegeThough KSCPCR is yet to submit a report to the government, child right activists in the city met here on Monday to discuss the findings of the three-member commission probing the alleged suicide.

The activists claim that that the committee has found 27 types of lapses in Alva’s institute, where Kavya was found hanging on July 20.


Kavya stayed in the hostel. On July 19, she spoke to her family members and told her mother over phone that she had sports training at 4.30am the next day. Video footage shows Kavya going outside the campus but there is no footage of her returning to the hostel. She was found hanging in her hostel room at around 8.30 - 9 pm on July 20.


At a discussion held under the aegis of Childline Mangaluru and Federation of Education Resource Centres held here on August 28,  Monday, child rights activist Renni D’Souza read out the ’report’, which he claimed is the one prepared by the three-member committee of KSCPCR that visited Alva’s institute in Moodbidri on August 2 and 3.


"The committee comprising Anand Lobo, Vanitha S Thoravi and Roopa Nayak visited Alva’s institute and the hostel where Kavya died. The commission appointed by KSCPCR has in its report pointed out 27 lapses on part of Alva’s institute. The report points to the institute’s lack of facilities for child protection and says the institute has no committees for the protection of children in its residential schools. The report also makes a mention of the institute’s failure in displaying Childline number 1098 on its premises. The commission also mentions about corporal punishment being handed out to children in its residential school," Renni said at a discussion attended by over a dozen child rights activists and like-minded people.


Renni said the report of the three-member commission also points to lapses like shortage of CCTV cameras, lack of complaint redressal mechanism, child rights clubs and lack of lifts in hostels in the institute. "The three-member committee submitted its report to the KSCPCR and it was discussed on August 23. The report has made 33 recommendations for the safety of children in institutes in the state," Renni said and urged the government to implement the recommendations.