ADM’s death: police record statement of Kannur Collector

Addressing mediapersons on Tuesday, he reiterates that former district panchayat president P.P. Divya was not officially invited to the farewell event, contrary to her claims. He says he has no prior knowledge of any allegations against Naveen Babu, describing their working relationship as cordial

In a significant development in the investigation into the death of Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Naveen Babu, Kannur District Collector Arun K. Vijayan gave his statement to the police on Monday night at his official residence.

While it was initially expected that his statement will be taken during regular office hours, the police instead visited the Collector’s official residence after his working hours.

Naveen Babu’s death by suicide followed accusations of corruption raised against him by former district panchayat president P.P. Divya at a farewell meeting for him. The allegations centred on the ADM’s role in granting no-objection certificate (NOC) for a petrol pump, with Ms. Divya claiming she had evidence of his misconduct.

Thus the Collector’s testimony was considered crucial, as there were accusations that he played a role in inviting Ms. Divya to the farewell meeting.

Addressing mediapersons on Tuesday, Mr. Vijayan said he provided full clarification to the police and declined to offer any further details, citing the ongoing investigation. He reiterated that Ms. Divya was not officially invited to the farewell event, contrary to her claims.

When asked about his communication with Naveen Babu or Ms. Divya after the farewell meeting, the Collector said he had not contacted either. However, he mentioned that he submitted his phone records to the police.

On rumours of seeking a transfer, the Collector clarified that he neither applied for leave nor a transfer, leaving such decisions to the government. He emphasised that there was no prior knowledge of any allegations against the ADM, describing their working relationship as cordial.

The police also took the statement of T.V. Prasanthan, who applied for the NOC for the petrol pump, late on Monday evening. He gave a statement to the police that he paid bribe to the ADM by pledging gold.

Mr. Prasanthan’s statement is that on October 6 he met Naveen Babu at his quarters at Pallikunnu and gave him the bribe.

However, the statement of Ms. Divya has not been recorded. The court will consider her anticipatory bail plea on Thursday. There are accusations that the police have delayed action against her, fuelling speculation that she is being shielded. Naveen Babu’s kin have alleged that both the Collector and Ms. Divya conspired against the ADM, leading to the tragic outcome.

However, investigation by Joint Commissioner of Land Revenue A. Geetha has so far found no evidence supporting the bribery allegations made by Ms. Divya . The report indicates that there is no proof that the ADM delayed the file deliberately or took bribe in connection with the NOC.

Autopsy report

Meanwhile, the post-mortem examination from the Government Medical College Hospital, Kannur, confirmed that Naveen Babu’s death was suicide, with the estimated time of death between 4.30 and 5.30 a.m. on October 15. There were no injuries or marks found on the body.

Published - October 22, 2024 07:12 pm IST