ADM’s suicide: PP Divya removed from her post by CPI(M)

Kannur, Kerala: CPI(M) leader P P Divya, who was earlier in the day booked for the offence of abetment to suicide in connection with the recent death of former ADM Naveen Babu, was on Thursday removed from the post of Kannur District Panchayat President by the Left party.

Babu allegedly died by suicide after Divya levelled corruption allegations against him during his farewell party following his transfer to his home district of Pathanamthitta as Additional District Magistrate for the last few months of his government service.

Hours after his remains were cremated at his home in Malayalapuzha in Pathanamthitta district, the CPI(M) leader was removed from the post.

Her removal was announced by the CPI(M)'s Kannur District Secretariat late on Thursday night.

It was also announced that advocate K K Ratnakumari would take over as the Kannur District Panchayat President.

Earlier in the day, Divya was booked under section 108 (abetment to suicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in the FIR registered at Kannur Town police station.

The offence is non-bailable and carries a punishment of 10 years imprisonment.

The district secretariat, in its statement, said that it was of the view that she should step down from the post as the police were investigating the case against her and Divya too agreed with the same.

Divya too issued a statement in which she expressed sadness over Babu's death, conveyed her condolences to the family and assured to cooperate with the police investigation.

She also said that she will prove her innocence through legal means.

She further said that she agreed with the district secretariat's stand that her remarks were merely a well-intentioned criticism against corruption, but she should have refrained from such comments during the send-off meeting.

Divya said that, given the ongoing police investigation against her, she believed it was necessary to step down as District Panchayat President and thus, she tendered her resignation.

She said that she has forwarded her resignation to the concerned persons.

Additional District Magistrate (ADM), Kannur, Naveen Babu K, who was supposed to reach his home district of Pathanamthitta on Tuesday morning to take charge as ADM there, was found hanging in his quarters.

At his farewell ceremony organised a day before that by his colleagues and attended by district Collector Arun K Vijayan, the ADM faced allegations of corruption from Divya, who allegedly attended the event without an official invitation.

She had criticised the ADM for delaying the approval of a petrol pump in Chengalai for several months and said he granted approval only two days after being transferred, hinting that she knew the reasons behind this sudden approval.

The death of the official came to light when his wife, a tehsildar, and their children went to Chengannur railway station on Tuesday morning to receive Babu, who was supposed to take charge as ADM Pathanamthitta, later in the day.

When Babu was not found on the train, the family tried to reach him on his mobile phone, but it went unanswered. They subsequently contacted his colleagues in Kannur, and during their search, they found Babu hanging in his quarters.

The death of Babu has sparked a row in the state, with the opposition Congress seeking the resignation of Divya, who is the ruling CPI(M)'s Kannur district panchayat president, and her arrest. Similar demands have been made by the BJP.

PTI