Kerala ADM suicide case: Court delays Divya's bail hearing until Nov 8

Kannur: A court in Kannur has postponed the bail hearing for CPI-M leader P. P. Divya in connection with the suicide case of Kannur ADM Naveen Babu until Friday.

Divya's legal counsel argued for her innocence, asserting that she was merely trying to expose allegations They claimed that Babu had taken a bribe, which was strongly opposed. The court also addressed the involvement of Kannur District Collector Arun Vijayan and T.V. Prasanth, who claimed to have paid Babu a bribe for petrol pump approval.

After listening to both parties, the court decided to hold the next hearing on Friday. On November 1, she was questioned by the police for about four hours.

The situation escalated when Divya attended Babu's farewell event uninvited on October 14, where she made critical comments about him. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who was present at the event, did not respond to Divya's remarks. Babu died by suicide the following day, on October 15, prompting significant public outcry. In the aftermath, Divya resigned from her position as Kannur district panchayat President. She went into hiding for several days after a case was filed against her on October 17.

The case garnered extensive media attention, with both the Congress and BJP vocally supporting Babu's family. A further complication arose when the CPI-M Pathanamthitta district committee expressed sympathy for Babu's family, suggesting Divya's wrongdoing, while the party's Kannur unit continued to support her.

Divya ultimately surrendered to the police and was remanded to a Kannur jail on October 29 after her anticipatory bail plea was denied.

(IANS with edits)