Snubbed at farewell meeting, Kannur ADM Naveen Babu ends life in official residence

Kannur Deputy Collector and Additional District Magistrate Naveen Babu was found dead at his residence on Tuesday. He was found hanging. The reason for suicide is unknown. Former colleagues and revenue officials told Onmanorama that he was disturbed over an incident that happened on Monday during a farewell meeting.

After his transfer to another office, the staff arranged a farewell meeting for Naveen Babu. Kannur district panchayat president P P Divya reportedly arrived at the meeting uninvited and allegedly made some incriminating statements against the ADM in the presence of the media.

Kannur Collector and other revenue staff were also present at the meeting. A staffer close to him said that he was upset about this. Naveen Babu, a native of Pathanamthitta, had served as tahasildar at Ranni before he was transferred to Kannur. He is survived by his wife, Manjusha, the Additional Tahasildar, Konni, and two daughters. The police have started an investigation. Naveen Babu had told his family that he would come home on Tuesday. Onmanorama tried to contact Divya, but she was unavailable.

As per the visuals of the farewell meeting broadcast on news channels, Divya is heard saying she wouldn't want to be present when a memento is presented to Naveen Babu. "I have definite reasons for that, which I will reveal in two days," she said before walking off. She also said she could communicate easily with the former ADM who had served there before Naveen Babu. "I had tried to contact Naveen Babu regarding the NoC (no objection certificate) for a petrol pump at Chengalayi. He wouldn't answer calls. When he did, I told him to do what was needed if there was no issue with that application. I asked him to visit the site. He responded that he would, and later, after visiting the site, he told me there were some issues. Now, I have come to know that NoC has been issued. I know how it was issued. When he joins duty in another station, I want him to do much better than how he performed here," Divya said. 

Ajit Kumar, Kannur City Police Commissioner, said Naveen Babu was found hanging in his bedroom. "We have not recovered any suicide note. The procedure is going on," he said.

Following Naveen Babu's death, Divya is coping with outrage against her decision to 'gate crash' the farewell meeting and air her grievance against Naveen Babu. Members of Yuva Morcha, the BJP's youth wing, took out a procession against her in Kannur. Police prevented activists who tried to barge into the district panchayat office.

CPM's Pathanamthitta district committee member Malayazhappuzha Mohan said action must be initiated against Divya if she has done anything wrong. "We will give a complaint to the party. If organisational action is not taken, we will file a complaint with the court," he said.