Kannur ADM’s death: District Collector says he didn’t invite PP Divya to farewell event

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Even as  demands to investigate the role of District Collector Arun K. Vijayan, in the death of  former Additional District  Magistrate(ADM) Naveen Babu have emerged from various quarters ,the Collector on Saturday  said that he did not invite former district panchayat president PP. Divya to the farewell event of the ADM.

“The event was organised by the Staff Council; you may check the records. I was not responsible for the programme,” Collector Arun K Vijayam told reporters on Saturday .

However, in her anticipatory bail application filed by former District Panchayat President P P Divya at the  Principal sessions  court in  Thalassery , she claimed that the Collector had invited her to the farewell function. Divya moved the Thalassery Sessions Court on Friday seeking anticipatory bail after police booked her on charges of abetment of suicide

Allegations have been raised from various quarters stating that Collector Arun K Vijayan was aware that the then-district panchayat president PP Divya would attend the farewell program organised for Naveen Babu and that she would raise allegations against the ADM.

Meanwhile, Geetha A, Joint Commissioner of Land Revenue, who has been entrusted with the departmental probe  into the death of former Kannur ADM Naveen Babu, recorded the statement of  Kannur District Collector Arun  K Vijayan on Saturday.

The probe will look into the sequence of events leading to the loss of life of the former ADM Kannur including the allegations raised by former District Panchayat President P P Divya against the ADM
Earlier,  following allegations,Kannur Collector  Arun K Vijayan was removed from the responsibility of the departmental investigation into the death of ADM Naveen Babu and A Geetha, Joint Commissioner of Land Revenue, was entrusted with the probe

In this  connection, PP Divya, who has been accused of abetting the suicide of Kannur ADM Naveen Babu, is yet to be questioned by the police. The statements of the employees who participated in the farewell meeting and Prasanthan who applied for the pump were recorded , but the statements of Divya or the District Collector were not recorded.

The statements of the employees who participated in the farewell meeting were  also recorded. However,the statements of Divya and  the District Collector were not recorded. The allegation that the collector knew about Divya coming and speaking against ADM is getting stronger now . The investigation team may also check the phone call records of the Collector

Kannur Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Naveen Babu was found  dead at his quarters at Pallikkunnu in Kannur  on Tuesday.  Naveen Babu, who was supposed to return to his home district of Pathanamthitta a day earlier to take charge as ADM there, was found hanging in his quarters at Pallikkunnu in Kannur on Tuesday morning

At his farewell ceremony, Naveen  Babu faced allegations of wrongdoing from District Panchayat president P P Divya, who reportedly attended the event without an official invitation.. At the  farewell event held for ADM Naveen Babu on Monday , PP. Divya, who arrived uninvited, raised corruption allegations against him. It is suspected that this deeply upset Naveen Babu, leading him to take his own life.