A day after ADM’s ‘suicide’, kin accuse panchayat head

A day after Kannur additional district magistrate (ADM) Naveen Babu was found dead in a suspected case of suicide, his family lodged a complaint with the local police demanding action against CPM leader and Kannur district panchayat president PP Divya on Wednesday, officials aware of the matter said.

ADM Babu was found dead at his government quarters early Tuesday.

Protests by the opposition Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against the CPI(M) leadership, particularly Divya, continued on the second day on Wednesday in Kannur, with protesters marching to her residence and demanding her resignation.

Praveen Babu, the brother of the deceased revenue officer, filed an official complaint with the Kannur Town police, alleging that Divya’s comments, which she made during the farewell ceremony organised for Babu in Kannur on Monday, played a role in his alleged suicide, the SHO of the Town police station said on condition of anonymity.

“We have got his (Praveen Babu’s) complaint. We have not filed a separate FIR regarding it as the probe into the death of the officer is already on and all angles are being explored. It is being treated as an unnatural death and all factors leading to his death will be investigated,” the officer said.

At the send-off ceremony hosted for ADM Babu, who was transferred to Pathanamthitta ahead of his retirement from service next year, Divya made scathing allegations against him in connection with approving the licence for a petrol pump in Chengala. She alleged that he delayed the approval for the petrol pump and hinted at his involvement in bribery for the same.

Divya, who abruptly entered the farewell ceremony without an invitation and left soon after making the remarks, was quoted saying, “I had called him multiple times asking to visit the spot of the petrol pump. He then said that he had visited the site and that it was difficult to give an NOC because of some curves on the road. I know how that NOC was given.” She also said that the officer should function more truthfully in his new posting in Pathanamthitta.

Prasanth, a relative of a known CPM leader in Kannur and the owner of the petrol pump in Chengala, told reporters on Tuesday that he gave a bribe of ₹98,000 to the officer in exchange for the no-objection certificate.

However, the family members of Babu and those close to him have said that he was an upright officer and would never take bribes. They have alleged that the claims of Prasanth regarding the bribe was an attempt to protect Divya.