Mangaluru, Jul 2: Local leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party have extended unconditional support to Alva’s Education Foundation and its chairman Dr M Mohan Alva following alleged media trial against the institution in the wake of the suspicious death of a high school student.
Kavya Poojary, a Class 10 student and state level badminton player, was found hanging in the hostel room of Alva’s High School on July 20. Initially, the institution had allegedly tried to cover up the case by calling it a suicide. However, Kavya’s mother has called it a murder.
Addressing a press conference in the city on Wednesday Ganesh Karnik, chief whip of the opposition in Karnataka Legislative Council, demanded immediate halt to what he termed as “witch-hunt” being carried out against school management in social media and a section of visual media. There are vested interests at work to derail the ongoing police probe into the incident, he said.
Karnik said while death of any student is sad, need of the hour is to facilitate the investigating agency carry out a free and fair probe. The school management, headed by Dr M Mohan Alva, has already expressed its willingness to cooperate with Mangaluru City Police that is carrying out the probe, he said, adding selectively targeting the institution with a history of more than three-decade smacks of smear campaign of the worst kind.
He said that such concerted misinformation campaign against a particular institution will also hurt the standing of Dakshina Kannada regarded as education hub of the state and sow seeds of doubts in minds of parents who intend to admit their children to institutions in the district.
Asked about the observations made by V S Ugrappa, chairperson of the expert committee on preventing sexual violence against women and children about shortcomings in Alva's Educational Institutions during his visit there on Tuesday, Karnik said that the former was acting as the sole constitutional authority in the state.
“Ugrappa has exceeded his charter of duties. All such observations should have been submitted as a report to the government,” he said.
Ugrappa on Wednesday had publicly revealed some of the alleged violations committed by the institution. Though Alva’s High School does not come under residential institution category, the management has established a hostel for its students on the fifth floor of the building.
BJP leaders Sanjeeva Matandoor and Monappa Bhandary were present among others at the press meet.
Also Read: Kavya death: Alleged ‘golmaal’ in Alva’s foundation leaves Ugrappa baffled
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