Cong alleges mystery in Kannur official's death, demands CBI probe

Kochi: The opposition Congress on Wednesday demanded a CBI probe into the death of former Kannur Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Naveen Babu, saying that it is inevitable to unravel the mysteries behind the incident.

It accused the CPI(M)-led LDF government of protecting the culprits responsible for the death of the officer, which shocked the conscience of the state.

The grand-old-party’s demand for the central agency probe came a day after the officer’s widow moved the Kerala High Court urging it to transfer to the CBI the probe into her husband’s alleged suicide.

While speaking to reporters here, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan said the petiton filed by the ADM’s wife proves that the allegations raised by the Congress-led UDF in connection with the death were true.

He reiterated his charge that the Left government is with “predators” and not the victim or his family in the incident.

“The family alleged that the present investigation is a farce. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed without any order. The police are trying to portray Naveen Babu as corrupt,” Satheesan alleged.

He further claimed that there was no investigation into the allegations of forging fake documents to raise corruption charges against Babu.

“Attempts are being made to portray the ADM as corrupt in order to save the culprits. It is even doubtful whether this (his death) was a murder. The government should stop the attempts to save the culprits and agree to a CBI probe as demanded by the ADM’s family,” he said.

There is a mystery behind the death of Babu and hence it should be probed by the central agency, the LoP further said, adding that the role played by the Kannur district Collector should also be probed.

Babu had allegedly died by suicide following the corruption allegations made against him by former Kannur District Panchayat president P P Divya at his farewell function.

Attending his send-off function allegedly uninvited on 14 October, the CPI(M) leader criticised Babu for delaying the approval of a petrol pump in Chengalai for several months and remarked that he granted approval only two days after being transferred, hinting that she knew the reasons behind the sudden nod.

The following day, Babu was found dead at his quarters in Kannur.

Divya was, subsequently, removed from her post, booked for abetment of suicide, arrested and remanded to judicial custody on October 29 after her plea for anticipatory bail was rejected by a sessions court.

On November 8, she was granted regular bail by the sessions court.

In her plea in court, Babu’s widow claimed that “no meaningful progress has been made by the current investigating agency”.

She also claimed that the possibility of a homicidal hanging cannot be ruled out.