A teacher at Kannur University’s School of Legal Studies (SLS) in Manjeshwaram has been dismissed after setting an exam question asking students to discuss the human rights implications surrounding the public humiliation of Kannur Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Naveen Babu by former Kannur District Panchayat president PP Divya, an incident followed by Babu’s tragic suicide.
Sherin C Abraham, a temporary lecturer at the School of Legal Studies, has been directed not to report to the institution from Monday onwards. Reportedly, Abraham received a brief phone call on Sunday from Dr Sheena Shukkur, the Head of the Department, informing him of the decision.
The dismissal follows a complaint filed by the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the CPI-M. Abraham has been teaching at SLS since its inception two years ago.
The contentious question, set for a third-semester LLB internal examination held on October 28, read as follows:
“X (ADM) died by suicide shortly after being accused of bribery by a political leader (P), the former president of the YZ district panchayat during his farewell ceremony. P publicly accused X of bribery, which allegedly led to his suicide. No evidence of allegations was produced by P. A case of abetment to suicide was registered against P, who then applied for anticipatory bail. The Kerala court has adjourned the hearing of P’s anticipatory bail plea until October 24, 2024. Illustrate the human rights concerns in this case and decide the case from a Human Rights perspective.”
Abraham stated that he did not explicitly name PP Divya, the individual accused in the ADM suicide case. He explained that the question was framed as part of the United Nations Convention Against Torture and aligned with the subject matter he was teaching.
ADM Naveen Babu was found dead at his official residence in Kannur on the morning of October 15.
He is believed to have died by suicide following public accusations and humiliation over corruption allegations made by PP Divya, then the Kannur District Panchayat President, during a farewell event on October 14.
Divya had accused Babu of intentionally delaying a No Objection Certificate (NoC) for Prashanthan, an entrepreneur from Chengalai in Kannur.