Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader PP Divya, who has been booked for allegedly abetting the suicide of Kannur Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Naveen Babu, has been removed from the post of Kannur district panchayat president by the Left party.

The ADM was found dead at his residence on October 15.  It is speculated that Naveen Babu was upset over the corruption allegations levelled against him by Divya, who is also the Kannur district panchayat president. Divya had allegedly insinuated that the ADM had accepted a bribe before issuing a no objection certificate (NOC) to a petrol pump in his jurisdiction.

The decision to remove Divya from the post of Panchayat president was made a few hours after the cremation of Naveen Babu’s mortal remains at his home in Pathanamthitta district. The decision was made by CPI(M)'s Kannur District Secretariat. KK Ratnakumari would take over the post in place of Divya. 

On October 14, during his farewell as the Kannur ADM, addressing the gathering Divya said that she once spoke to Naveen to discuss the NOC for a petrol pump in Chengalayi. “I had also called him multiple times to visit the spot. Once, he told me that he 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.” Insinuating that Naveen took a bribe to grant the NOC, Divya said that he should not behave “in a similar manner” at the new place. 

Her allegation was backed by the petrol pump owner Prashant, who spoke to the media after Naveen’s death. He alleged that the ADM had demanded Rs 1 lakh as bribe. “He said the NOC would not be given if I did not pay up. I paid around Rs 98,500 in cash, which he said was enough. I had told Divya about this incident and how I got the NOC. Divya told me to immediately file a complaint with the Kerala Chief Minister,” Prashant alleged. Following this, he filed a complaint against the ADM on October 10.