PATHANAMTHITTA: The family of the deceased Kannur Deputy Collector Naveen Babu has refused to accept an apology sent by Kannur Collector Arun K. Vijayan, expressing grief over his colleague’s death.
In a letter delivered in a sealed cover to the family by the Pathanamthitta sub-collector personally, Collector Arun conveyed his remorse regarding the events surrounding the send-off meeting.
“What happened should never have occurred. It is an irreparable loss. My words can’t express the pain, loss, and shock I feel about Naveen’s demise, even as I wish to share in the grief of the family. At present, there is only darkness around me. I can only pray that everyone has the strength to get through this difficult phase,” the Kannur collector wrote.
Praising Naveen’s dedication, Arun stated, “He was my dear colleague whom I could entrust with any kind of official assignment. I had known him for eight months. He always did his duty with efficiency and compassion. He worked shoulder to shoulder with me.”
“I don’t know how to console you or what to say. I can’t recover from this shock,” the Kannur collector added, expressing his wish to be present for the funeral, although he was in Pathanamthitta and unable to attend.
Meanwhile, G. Akhil, the district secretary of the pro-CPI organization Joint Council Pathanamthitta, pointed out that Naveen’s family had indicated they cannot accept the letter of apology from the Kannur collector. Naveen’s wife, Konni Tahasildar Manjusha, had informed the organization of this, he said.
“Naveen Babu’s wife Manjusha is dissatisfied with the letter. It makes no mention of the issues and contains nothing but the collector’s personal experiences,” Akhil said. Notably, the family has also joined as a party against the anticipatory bail plea moved by Kannur panchayat president P.P. Divya.