Naveen Babu, Kannur's ADM, was found dead at his residence after facing serious corruption allegations from District Panchayat President P.P. Divya during a farewell event the day before. His death has sparked a political row in Kerala.
Published Oct 15, 2024 | 1:45 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 15, 2024 | 9:09 PM
Naveen Babu, the Additional District Magistrate (ADM) of Kannur, was found dead at his official residence in Pallikkunnu following serious corruption allegations made against him by Kannur District Panchayat President PP Divya.
Naveen Babu, the Additional District Magistrate (ADM) of Kannur, was found dead at his official residence in Pallikkunnu on Tuesday, following serious corruption allegations made against him by Kannur District Panchayat President PP Divya.
The discovery of his body, found hanging in his quarters, shocked the local community.
The accusations were raised during a farewell function for Naveen Babu held the previous day. Things took an unexpected turn when Divya, a CPM leader, publicly criticised the ADM, accusing him of corruption related to transfer matters.
This sudden escalation cast a shadow over the event, followed tragically by the news of his death.
In her recent address, PP Divya, the Kannur District Panchayat President, highlighted the challenges she faced when dealing with government officials in the past.
She recalled frequently contacting the former ADM for various matters but noted that interactions had decreased since Naveen Babu took over.
Divya mentioned a specific incident involving a No Objection Certificate (NOC) request for a petrol pump in Chengalayi. She had asked the ADM to visit the site, but despite following up, the applicant expressed frustration over the lack of progress. The ADM later informed her that issuing the NOC would be challenging due to sharp curves in the area.
While she acknowledged that the NOC was eventually granted just before the ADM’s departure, Divya expressed mixed feelings about how it was obtained.
She emphasised the need for government officials to serve the public more effectively, stating that “anything can change in a moment in public service,” urging the importance of being prepared to respond promptly to citizen needs.
Divya stressed the significance of integrity in every action within public service. She cautioned the departing official against repeating past behaviours observed in Kannur, hinting at possible repercussions for him.
Interestingly, her remarks were made in the presence of the District Collector, who was attending the farewell event for the ADM.
Divya concluded her speech by stating her intention to leave before the refreshments, teasing that there was a specific reason for her early departure, which would become clear in two days.
Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan stated, “Divya insulted the ADM, which ultimately led to his suicide; it’s akin to murder. The opposition does not even have an opinion that he was corrupt. Divya’s insult stemmed from a personal grudge. We need a thorough investigation.”
In the case of the death of Kannur ADM Naveen Babu, S.K. Jayakumar, the President of the Federation of Employees and Teachers Organisation (FETO), has demanded legal action against Kannur District Panchayat President Divya for incitement of suicide.
Jayakumar criticised the state administration, stating that it is a shameful situation where even a senior government official in Kerala could not withstand mental pressure, leading to suicide. He claimed that Divya’s arrogance of power has resulted in the loss of a life and called for her removal from the position of District Panchayat President.
Revenue Minister K Rajan told the media that he had directed the Kannur District Collector to submit a preliminary report. And further action will be initiated upon this.
“As far as I know, Naveen was a sincere officer. The Revenue Department didn’t receive any complaints against him,” said Rajan.
In an indirect criticism towards Divya, the Revenue Minister said that people’s representatives will have to act responsibly.
Congress working committee member Ramesh Chennithala alleged that the death of Kannur ADM was not a suicide but a murder carried out by the CPI(M) leadership through a public trial.
“If a man is brutally insulted by his colleagues and pushed to commit suicide, it is murder. A man who was only seven months away from retirement was humiliated and pushed to death on the grounds of personal enmity. A thorough investigation is needed in this matter,” said Chennithala.
He then added, “If there is corruption in any matter, there are many legal ways to deal with it. If the district panchayat president has a complaint, she can file a complaint with the Vigilance. Here a person holding a responsible position publicly humiliates an officer and pushes him to death. This is another form of lynching. It’s not suicide, it’s homicide.”
Amidst the ongoing protest against P P Divya, a complaint raised by the proprietor of the petrol pump has also surfaced. The complaint has been raised by Prasanthan T V with the Chief Minister on 10 October.
In it, he alleged that the officer Naveen Babu K has purportedly delayed the sanctioning of the pump and he demanded an amount of Rs 1 lakh as bribe. He then stated that he handed over Rs 98,500 to Naveen and the sanction was eventually granted.
According to BJP state president K. Surendran the death of Kannur ADM Naveen Babu is shocking and further demanded the arrest of district panchayat president PP Divya for instigating the death.
According to Surendran, it was intentional to insult ADM by coming to the stage where she was not invited.
“It is clear that the reason for the hatred was the ADM’s disapproval of Divya’s misguided recommendation. An honest officer was portrayed as corrupt and was incited to commit suicide. A case should be filed against PP Divya for inciting suicide and murder. CPM leaders have become accustomed to breaking the confidence of government officials in Kerala. She should resign immediately,” said Surendran.
At the same time, the Youth Congress has decided to approach the Kerala State Human Rights Commission against the death of Naveen Babu.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
