Pathanamthitta: The family of Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Naveen Babu, who was found hanging at his official quarters in Kannur last year, has filed a defamation case against two individuals for allegedly making false bribery accusations that tarnished his reputation, relatives said.
According to family members, the suit was filed before the Pathanamthitta Sub Court last week against former Kannur District Panchayat president P.P. Divya and T.V. Prasanthan, an applicant for a petrol pump licence who had accused Babu of accepting a bribe.
The family has sought ₹65 lakh in compensation, claiming both respondents defamed Babu by spreading unsubstantiated corruption allegations. The court has issued notices to Divya and Prasanthan, and the hearing is scheduled for November 11, a relative confirmed.
The family believes that fresh evidence may surface during the defamation proceedings, potentially aiding the ongoing criminal investigation into Babu’s death.
Earlier, police had charged Divya with abetting Babu’s suicide, alleging that her public remarks had deeply humiliated the officer. Babu was found dead on October 14 last year at his official residence in Kannur, days after Divya, then serving as the CPI(M)-backed District Panchayat President, allegedly confronted him at a farewell function and levelled corruption charges.
Prasanthan, who had claimed Babu delayed issuing a no-objection certificate for a petrol pump and later granted it after taking a bribe, has not been named an accused in the police case. The family noted that he also failed to produce any evidence to support his allegations during the inquiry.
Babu’s relatives have additionally approached the court seeking a fresh probe into the circumstances surrounding his death, maintaining that the defamatory allegations played a key role in driving him to the extreme step.
With PTI inputs