Kerala CM terms Kannur ADM’s death ‘utmost painful’

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday broke his silence over the recent death of Assistant District Magistrate (ADM) Naveen Babu, which has triggered a political row in the state, saying that the officer’s “untimely death” was ‘utmost painful” and no official should suffer such an ill-experience in the state.

He assured that the government would take adequate measures to ensure that such things would not happen in the state anymore.

The CM mentioned the death of the ADM during his speech at the annual conference of the Kerala Secretariat Employees Association here.

“(The government) will not let anyone question the self-respect of any official who delivers their responsibilities sincerely and efficiently,” Vijayan said.

The CM’s statement assumes significance in the wake of opposition parties criticising Vijayan for his continuing silence on the senior official’s death.

Naveen Babu’s suicide, occurring hours after CPI(M) leader P P Divya’s remarks linking him to corruption during the send-off meeting organised at the district collectorate in Kannur, has sparked a political uproar in the southern state.

P P Divya made remarks at Babu’s send-off function, stating his involvement in corruption related to sanctioning an NOC for a petrol pump in Kannur district.

Attending his send-off function uninvited on October 14, Divya criticised Babu for delaying the approval of the 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 approval.

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

Amidst the raging row over his death, the Marxist party removed Divya as president of the Kannur district panchayat.