The Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the investigation officer handling the death of Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Naveen Babu to submit the case diary and a detailed affidavit outlining the progress of the inquiry by December 6.
The directive came after a plea was filed by Babu’s widow, requesting the transfer of the investigation into her husband’s alleged suicide to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas, while considering the petition, also issued a notice to the CBI.
Babu’s widow raised concerns that the investigation was not progressing properly and alleged that the accused, former Kannur District Panchayat President P.P. Divya, wielded significant political influence, which could lead to interference in the probe.
The court questioned the petitioner on the basis of her claim that the death was a case of murder and sought further clarification on whether there were additional grounds, beyond the accused’s political connections, to support the claim of investigation sabotage.
The petitioner claimed that they were unaware of the events leading up to Babu’s death in the hours preceding the incident.
However, the court rejected her request to restrain the investigation team from submitting the final report until the petition was resolved.
The matter is set to be revisited by the court on December 6.
In her plea, filed on Tuesday, Babu’s widow argued that “no meaningful progress” had been made by the current investigating agency and raised concerns that the possibility of a homicidal hanging could not be ruled out.
She further criticized the Special Investigation Team (SIT), claiming it had made no significant efforts to gather crucial evidence.
Babu was found dead at his quarters in Kannur on October 15, one day after attending his farewell function, where former Panchayat President Divya accused him of corruption regarding a petrol pump approval.
Divya was subsequently removed from her post, booked for abetment of suicide, and arrested on October 29. She was granted bail on November 8.
