KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to produce the case diary and file a statement in a case related to the suspicious death of Naveen Babu, a former Additional District Magistrate (ADM) of Kannur.
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas issued the order on the petition filed by Manjusha, the wife of deceased Naveen Babu seeking an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
When the petition came up for hearing, the counsel for the petitioner sought an interim directive to the SIT not to file the final report, but the court declined it.
"On the mere apprehension that proper investigation will not happen, there is no need to restrain them from filing the final report," said the court and decided to hear the case on December 6.
She alleged that the possibility of a homicidal hanging cannot be ruled out." According to her, identifying individuals who interacted with Naveen Babu after the farewell function was crucial to uncovering the facts and circumstances surrounding his death.
The sole accused in the case is CPM leader and former Kannur District Panchayat President PP Divya. According to the petition, Divya attended the farewell function uninvited. She was accompanied by a cameraman, whom she arranged to record her speech to broadcast it through the media. Then she went on to openly and deliberately level derogatory remarks, falsely portraying Babu as a corrupt individual who habitually accepted bribes.
Following this, Divya obtained a copy of the visuals and disseminated it across the Revenue Department offices, including top officials in Pathanamthitta, where Babu was scheduled to take charge as ADM for the final tenure of his service. It emerged that even a complaint of corruption that was sent to the Chief Minister’s Office after he was found dead was fake. She further stated that a larger conspiracy may be involved in the circumstances surrounding her husband's death.
The petitioner said that the crucial evidence, including CCTV footage from the Collectorate premises, the railway station, and the official quarters of the deceased, has not been seized by the SIT.
She argued that this footage could provide critical insights into the events leading to her husband’s death. No efforts have been made to collect the call data records of the Kannur District Collector, the accused, and Prasanthan. She alleged that the SIT deliberately suppressed the call data records of the accused and the Collector.