Kochi Police keep tab on students

Kochi: The Student Care project to track pupils bunking classes will be expanded to all schools in the city as part of the Kochi City Police’s efforts to shield them from drug and liquor mafia. “We’re shocked by the increasing number of parents approaching us to save their children. At the DCP office alone, there are five to six cases reported in a week. Children who bunk classes are easy prey. Hence the pilot project implemented in Mattancherry (30 schools) will be extended to all schools starting from next week,” deputy commissioner Dr Arul R. B. Krishna said at a seminar at the St Alberts Auditorium.

The attendance records of students will now be updated on a regular basis using a software and details of students who bunk classes will reach the school and police authorities besides parents by email. “We’ll call parents of such children and inquire whether there is any particular reason or if they remain absent with their knowledge. Else we’ll probe details like their activities and subject them to counselling,” he said.

“We found these students indulging in crimes when they get addicted. In recent cases, they were found using certain mushroom varieties to get intoxication. We also raided a shop selling T-shirt with their DNA structure images printed on them. The customers were mostly students who get the substance from a secret location later,” said A. Ananthalal, the project's nodal officer.

“The usage of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) drugs, available in powder, liquid or small pieces is also on the rise among students." He exhorted students and the public to inform its call centre (0484- 2385006) upon coming to know of any shops or people selling narcotics.