KARRUR: The Principal Sessions Court in Thalassery has denied the anticipatory bail petition of former district panchayat president and CPM leader P.P. Divya, who is accused of abetting the suicide of Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Naveen Babu.
Divya sought anticipatory bail after police registered a case against her, alleging that her remarks at a farewell function contributed to Babu's suicide.
Naveen Babu was found dead by hanging at his official residence on 15 October. He was due to be transferred to his hometown in Pathanamthitta, and a farewell function was organised at the collectorate on 14 October.
Although Divya was not invited to the event, she attended and reportedly made disparaging comments about the ADM, suggesting there were irregularities in his issuance of a no-objection certificate (NOC) for a petrol pump at Chengalayi.
Adding fuel to the controversy, T.V. Prasanthan, an employee at the Government Medical College in Pariyaram, alleged he paid a bribe of Rs. 98,500 to the ADM for the NOC. Following this claim, the issue escalated into a political matter, with opposition parties calling for Divya's removal as district panchayat president.
She was subsequently removed from the post after intensified protests. Prasanthan was also suspended from his position when it was discovered that he did not have permission from the medical college to start the petrol pump.
Despite the non-bailable case registered against her, there were allegations that police had delayed Divya's arrest. Divya holds positions as a district committee member of the CPM and as a leader of the All India Democratic Women’s Association.