The death of Kannur Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Naveen Babu has sparked an outpouring of support from various quarters. Naveen Babu was found dead a day after CPI(M) leader and Panchayat President PP Divya publicly accused him of corruption. During Naveen Babu’s farewell, Divya accused him of deliberately delaying a no objection certificate for a petrol pump for months and eventually granting it "under certain circumstances," insinuating corruption.
PB Nooh IAS, the Pathanamthitta District Collector during the 2018 floods, Sabarimala protests, and the COVID-19 pandemic, said it was thanks to officers like Naveen Babu that relief efforts were possible. “There were no complaints against him during my term from 2018-2021. He was one of the officers who could be assigned any official work with 100% trust. An officer who has served in a department that has an extreme workload for over 30 years deserved a better send-off,” he stated in a social media post.
Santhosh Iriveri Parootty, a senior clerk at the Kannur district collectorate, said he did not work with Naveen Babu for long as he did not oversee the disaster management section. “One major thing I have noticed is that Naveen sir has always taken the side of workers when it comes to discussions between management and workers. His upbringing might have contributed to this. He did not deserve that farewell and it would have hurt everyone who attended it. It is important to probe corruption charges, whether it is against sir or me, through proper channels. But I am doubtful whether the farewell ceremony was the place to raise such allegations. Every human being deserves a second chance, and it was this right that Naveen sir was denied,” he added.
Meanwhile, an investigation has been initiated into the bribery complaint filed by petrol pump owner TV Prashant, who claimed that Naveen Babu demanded Rs 1 lakh from him.
Naveen Babu’s brother, Praveen Babu, has in turn sought a probe against Prashant, who had supported PP Divya's allegation that Naveen accepted a bribe.
According to reports, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) has said they have not received any complaint from Prashant, although he claimed to have filed one against the ADM on October 10.
A phone conversation purportedly between Prashant and another entrepreneur discussing how to obtain the licence from the ADM was leaked to the media, contradicting Prashant’s allegation. In the call, which was recorded on October 7 — a day after he allegedly paid the bribe according to his complaint — Prashant can purportedly be heard saying that he did not pay a bribe.
Further reports suggest that the NOC was not even in Prashant’s name, giving weight to the opposition’s concerns that Prashant may have been a benami of CPI(M) Panchayat President PP Divya. The NOC had initially been opposed by the police, as the petrol pump was to be built on a curve, making the location prone to accidents. The ADM had allegedly refused to give the NOC citing this reason. Naveen Babu was due to take up his new position as Pathanamthitta ADM on October 15. PP Divya attended his farewell ceremony uninvited and launched into a speech targeting him.
During the farewell, in the presence of Naveen, Divya said, “I had called him [Naveen Babu] once to discuss the NOC for a petrol pump in Chengalayi. I had also called him multiple times to visit the site. Once, he told me that he had visited the site and that it was difficult to give an NOC because of some bends and curves on the road. Later, the NOC for the petrol pump was given. I know how that was given, and I called this press conference to thank him.” She insinuated that Naveen had taken a bribe to grant the NOC and added that the ADM should not behave “in a similar manner” at his new post. Speaking to TNM, Praveen Babu stated that she should have raised the allegations earlier, instead of insulting him at his farewell.