Notices served to Kannur Collector, T.V. Prashanth in ADM Naveen Babu’s death case

The Kannur First Class Judicial Magistrate Court on Tuesday issued notices to Kannur District Collector Arun K. Vijayan and T.V. Prashanth, a petrol pump applicant who had accused Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Naveen Babu of taking bribe, in response to a petition filed by the deceased official’s family. The petition filed by K. Manjusha, the widow of Naveen Babu, seeks the preservation of crucial digital evidence in the case.

The family has requested the preservation of CCTV footage, phone records, and tower location data to aid the investigation into Naveen Babu’s death.

The petition specifically seeks evidence related to former district panchayat president P.P. Divya, who has been charged with abetment to suicide, Mr. Vijayan, who was a key witness at Naveen Babu’s farewell meeting, and Mr. Prashanth. Additionally, the petition demands preservation of CCTV footage from the District Collectorate, railway station, official residence of Naveen Baby and nearby roads.

The prosecution has opposed the request, arguing that examining the phones of the Collector and Mr. Prashanth, who are not directly implicated in the case, would infringe on their privacy. However, the court directed issuance of notices to both individuals. The court said the matter will be considered again on December 10.

The prosecution assured the court that relevant evidence has been preserved, but the family disputed this, alleging that the phone numbers listed in the evidence were unclear and incomplete.

Published - December 03, 2024 06:44 pm IST