Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Monday dismissed a petition seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the death of Kannur Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Naveen Babu, who was found hanging at his official residence on October 15.
Shortly after the verdict, Babu's wife, K. Manjusha, expressed her intention to appeal the decision. She stated that the fight was not over and confirmed plans to file an appeal with the High Court's division bench.
Babu’s brother, Praveen, voiced his disappointment with the ruling. He said they were unsatisfied with the court’s decision, which, while directing the state police to have a DIG monitor the investigation with periodic reviews, did not grant the request for a CBI probe. Praveen further indicated that the family would now approach the division bench or even consider escalating the matter to the Supreme Court if necessary.
The Pinarayi Vijayan-led state government, which had initially shown support for Babu’s family, opposed the demand for a CBI investigation during court proceedings.
Naveen Babu, a respected and upright officer, was found dead the day after his official farewell in Kannur. The controversy surrounding his death erupted after P.P. Divya, the Kannur District Panchayat President and CPI(M) leader, attended Babu’s farewell uninvited and accused him of corruption.
Babu’s family has alleged that Divya's accusations were politically motivated and caused significant distress to the officer. In response to the allegations, Divya was arrested and briefly jailed. She later resigned from her position amidst growing public backlash.
In her petition for a CBI investigation, Manjusha cited what she considered irregularities in the state police investigation. Her counsel argued that the inquest and postmortem were conducted hastily and without the family's presence. Additionally, they pointed to forceful ligature marks on Babu's neck that required scientific examination. The family also expressed concerns that Divya’s strong political connections could hinder a fair investigation by the state police.
The Kerala government, however, opposed the petition, asserting that the ongoing state police investigation was both impartial and evidence-based. The government’s counsel contended that the demand for a CBI probe was based on assumptions rather than concrete evidence.
Divya’s allegations against Babu centered around a delay in issuing a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for a petrol pump application submitted by T.V. Prasanth, an electrician at the Kannur Medical College. Notably, Prasanth was reportedly a colleague of Divya’s husband, raising questions about potential personal motives behind the accusations.
Following Babu’s death, Divya initially went into hiding but was arrested on October 29 after her anticipatory bail plea was rejected. She was subsequently granted bail on November 8.
With IANS inputs