By Rabindra Rooplall

CUMMINGS Lodge resident 19-year-old Kavita Ackloo, called “Shevon”, has been identified as the female in the Kingston seawall poison incident that occurred on Monday last.

The teen was positively identified on Tuesday evening at the Lyken Funeral Parlour. However, Police Commander Clifton Hicken noted that the body of the young man is still to be identified.

There were no marks of violence on either of the bodies, and they were both fully clothed.

Police retrieved from the right side pocket of the dead man two receipts which indicated that he had purchased two items from Caribbean Chemicals Limited on Croal Street.

Investigators are convinced that the duo took their own lives. They were both discovered lying close to each other with bottles of what is suspected to be poison nearby.

The teen, who would have celebrated her twentieth birthday tomorrow, previously attended Leguan Secondary. She did not complete schooling, but choose to move to Georgetown after her grandmother had fallen ill two years ago.

The girl’s father, who lives separately from her mother, was devastated by the news, and has told investigators that he does not know the young man. Her mother, Romeela Narine, called “Sharda”, has described her daughter as a very quiet and easygoing individual.

“Out of my five children, she was my best child. Most of her life was spent in Leguan with my mother. She never showed any signs of abuse (or) depression. I am totally shocked, I didn’t realise it was my daughter until I opened the papers and saw the picture, and then I (recogniseed) that green pants and I looked closely and know it was her,” she lamented.

Male unknown
She added that she did not really know the young man who had been involved with her daughter. Ms Narine said: “I don’t really know the bai name. Some say he name Rakesh (or) Ramesh, but I don’t know. She only visited me with him once, when her step-father was not at home,” she explained.

She continued: “When she come to town to live two years ago — she lived most of the time with me — she was always willing to learn. She did lots of computer courses and other things to develop herself.”

Reflecting on her daughter’s relationship, Ms Narine said the first relationship her daughter had, she had brought a boy at the house which her step-father owns, something she had warned her against and had expressed total disapproval of. However, after that relationship had ended and her daughter worked as a salesgirl in the city at Bombay Fashions, she apparently became involved with another young man almost a month ago.

“Is only couple of week ago they started talking on Whatsapp. This is not a long relationship. She moved out from me couple weeks ago to go stay by her father, and I don’t know exactly what she did or didn’t do. I don’t know how she drink it (poison) or why she drink it; she never said anything that would cause this,” she exhorted.

“Her sister which is two years younger had also drank poison earlier this year, and was admitted to the hospital for awhile,” the mother explained.

When questioned if any other member of the family had also committed suicide, Ms Narine said her grandmother had committed suicide. “And imagine Shevon said to me she could never do something like that (drinking poison) because this world got too much man. So you can imagine how I feel when I saw that newspapers.”

Omen
Recollecting on the events that occurred during the day her daughter died, Ms Narine said there were signs of bad omen.

“When I was on the verandah, a set of brick and concrete fall from the roof onto my neck. Then when my husband go and put on he boots, a whole set of red ants was around his boots. It’s the same sign when his mother had died. I had bad signs but I didn’t know exactly what it was until now.”

Ask if she will be visiting the morgue where her daughter’s body is stored, the mother of five said she would not want to witness the post-mortem, since it would be too painful to watch her daughter in such a state.

In offering her advice to other young people who may be contemplating suicide, the grieving mother said that instead of committing such an act, it is better to talk to a neighbour, relative, workmate or somebody who would listen until that mood passes over.

“Before she drink poison, why didn’t she go to her sister in Leguan and relax, since the two of them get along well,” she questioned. “I last saw her Sunday; she wore a black pants and pink top, and everybody in this street was shocked. People could not believe. She never complained to anyone. Now look what happen,” she lamented.