KANNUR: A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe the death of ADM Naveen Babu, with Kannur City Police Commissioner Ajith Kumar heading the six-member team. The decision to form the SIT came 11 days after Babu’s death, amid rising public scrutiny.
The team will include Kannur ACP Ratnakumar, SHOs Sreejith Koderi and Sanalkumar, Sub-Inspectors Savyasachi and Reshma, and ASI Sreejith. The investigation will be supervised by the Kannur Range DIG, and the SIT has been directed to submit progress reports every two weeks.
The formation of the special team comes as the court hears the anticipatory bail plea of P P Divya, the sole accused in the case. The investigation team’s next steps will depend on the outcome of this petition. Previously, the case was handled by a team led by Kannur Town SHO Sreejith Koderi. However, opposition parties have accused Koderi of being aligned with CPM and influencing the initial investigation.
In parallel, Kannur Town police have launched a separate inquiry into the business deals of Prasanthan, who earlier accused the late ADM of seeking bribe to sanction a fuel outlet. Investigators are focusing on alleged benami transactions involving a petrol pump in Chengalayi. As part of the inquiry, the police have recorded the statement of Rajeesh, Prasanthan’s brother-in-law, who was reportedly involved in applying for the petrol station licence with Prasanthan.
The Mahila Congress Kannur district committee started a round-the-clock strike demanding the arrest of P P Divya. DCC president Martin George inaugurated the protest. “The fact that even after a week of Naveen Babu’s death the police are not ready to question Divya and even take her statement is part of the drama being played by the police and CPM,”said Martin.
Prashanthan violated service rules, probe reveals
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: T V Prashanthan, an electrician with Pariyaram Government Medical College (GMC) who raised a bribery allegation against Naveen Babu, has been found to have violated service rules by venturing into the fuel-outlet business while in service. A health department investigation carried out by additional chief secretary Rajan Khobragade found Prashanthan did not seek the GMC authorities’ clearance before applying for a NOC for the outlet.
Being on the list of staff who have applied for regularisation in government service, service rules apply to him, the report said. The department is likely to dismiss him from service based on the report. Even before dispatching Rajan for the probe, Health Minister Veena George had said the government would consider sacking Prashanthan after seeking legal opinion. She sought the report as the one submitted by the GMC principal to director of medical education was found to be unsatisfactory. Prashanthan was recruited by the cooperative society that owned the hospital, before it was taken over by the government.