‘Mother battling cancer, husband seeking divorce’; Kavya’s response after complaints surfaced

KOZHIKODE: A co-worker said that she never had any reason to suspect the behaviour of Kavya and Keerthana, the teachers arrested in the drug trafficking case in Vadakara. She said the two teachers were always seen together. Since both were divorced, they believed that the two spent time together to discuss their personal issues. She also said that the Block Resource Centre (BRC) had never received any complaints against the two.

‘After Keerthana was arrested and remanded by the police, parents stepped forward with complaints against Kavya. The authorities sought an explanation from her after that. She then said that her mother is battling cancer and that her husband is seeking divorce from her, and claimed that these personal difficulties were affecting her. She also told us that she had no dealings with Keerthana. It was only after Keerthana's arrest that complaints were raised against Kavya, said the co-worker.

The arrested are K Kavya of Cherukad, Koorachundu and her friend K C Keerthana of Maruthonkara, both working as contract special educators at the Perambra Block Resource Centre (BRC). The Vadakara police had arrested Rizwan with MDMA two weeks ago. During investigation the police got hints about the two teachers from him. Investigators alleged that money from Rizwan's drug trafficking operations was transferred to the teachers' bank accounts. Keerthana was arrested on July 11, while Kavya was arrested a few days later.

The police are examining the bank accounts of both the teachers. They will also scrutinize the financial records and mobile phones of people linked to them. The two teachers, who are in judicial custody presently at the district jail, will be taken into police custody and questioned together. Kavya was teaching at the autism school attached to the Cheruvaloor Government LP School, which functions under the Block Resource Centre (BRC) of the District Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. Keerthana was working in another school. Both worked three days a week on a contract basis. According to the police, the two allegedly used their teaching profession as a cover for drug trafficking.