Kannur ADM Naveen Babu death: Sessions court adjourns hearing on P.P. Divya’s anticipatory bail plea

Court directs that police records must be presented when the case is heard on October 24

The Thalassery Principal Sessions Court on Monday (October 21, 2024) postponed the hearing of the anticipatory bail application filed by former Kannur district panchayat president P.P. Divya in connection with the case related to the death of former Kannur Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Naveen Babu. The court will consider the plea on Thursday (October 24).

During the proceedings, the court directed that police records should be presented when the case is heard on Thursday. The delay comes after objections to the bail plea were raised by John Ralph and P.M. Sajitha representing the prosecution. They requested additional time to raise objections against Ms. Divya’s bail plea.

Advocate K. Viswan, who appeared on behalf of Ms. Divya, argued that her statements were intended to “highlight corruption and not to provoke” Naveen Babu to take his own life. In her anticipatory bail plea, Ms. Divya contended that her actions were aimed at expediting the clearance of files and that she was invited to the farewell event by Kannur District Collector Arun K. Vijayan. However, this claim has been rejected by the Collector.

The court’s decision on the bail plea is crucial, as a rejection could lead to immediate police action, including her arrest.

However, the family of Naveen Babu has alleged a conspiracy involving Ms. Divya and Mr. Vijayan, suggesting that their presence at the farewell function was part of a coordinated effort against Naveen Babu. The police are investigating these allegations to determine if there was indeed a conspiracy.

Meanwhile, details have emerged linking the Communist Party India’s (CPI) alleged involvement in a petrol pump issue as a possible trigger for Ms. Divya’s alleged remarks against Naveen Babu. The Joint Commissioner of Land Revenue, A. Geetha, reportedly informed Ms. Divya that Naveen Babu received his no-objection certificate (NOC) due to CPI leaders’ intervention, which required financial contributions.

Reports also suggest that the CPI played a role in securing Naveen Babu’s transfer to Pathanamthitta.

CPI’s Kannur district secretary C.P. Santhosh Kumar confirmed that he had contacted Naveen Babu regarding the NOC issue.

Published - October 21, 2024 12:36 pm IST