Death of Kannur ADM Naveen Babu: P.P. Divya set to move Kerala High Court for anticipatory bail

Kannur Town police likely to question Divya who has been charged with abetment of suicide

Kannur district panchayat’s former president P.P. Divya, who has been charged with abetment of suicide in connection with the death of Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Naveen Babu, is likely to file a petition seeking anticipatory bail in the Kerala High Court.

Meanwhile, the Kannur Town police are likely to question Ms. Divya on Friday (October 18, 2024) as part of the investigation. The police filed a report in court on Thursday, officially naming Ms. Divya as an accused in the case.

The police will also record the statement of T.V. Prashanthan, an applicant for a petrol pump, in connection with the bribery allegations against Naveen Babu, with the possibility of adding more individuals to the list of accused.

Ms. Divya, a member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], was removed from her position as the district panchayat president Thursday night. The decision was reportedly influenced by directives from the Chief Minister, despite the initial stance of the Kannur district secretariat defending her.

In response to these developments, Ms. Divya released a statement expressing her sorrow over Naveen Babu’s death and assured her full cooperation with the police investigation.

Vigilance probe

The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau’s Kozhikode unit is set to commence an investigation into the bribery allegations raised by Mr. Prashanthan and the issues surrounding the petrol pump application. The allegations involve claims that Naveen Babu delayed the issuance of a no-objection certificate (NOC) for a petrol pump and eventually granted it only after receiving a bribe.

However, a report from the Kannur District Collector clarified that the former ADM was not at fault regarding the file transfer related to the NOC. According to the Collector’s report, the file was processed efficiently, with the final NOC issued within a week of receiving the town planner’s report.

The controversy escalated when, during a farewell ceremony for Naveen Babu, Ms. Divya made the allegations implying that the delay in granting the NOC was due to bribery. Naveen Babu was found dead in his residence the following morning.

Published - October 18, 2024 10:53 am IST