Kannur: TV Prasanthan, an electrician at Pariyaram Government Medical College, told the police that he paid a bribe to Additional District Magistrate (ADM) K Naveen Babu at his official quarters on October 6, after pawning gold to arrange the money. Prasanthan had accused the late Naveen Babu of accepting the bribe in exchange for issuing a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for his petrol pump project.
Prasanthan gave his statement to the Town Circle Inspector, who is leading the investigation. Sources indicate that Prasanthan submitted documents proving that he pawned gold to raise the bribe money.
The ADM was found dead at his official residence on October 15 after former Kannur District Panchayat President PP Divya publicly accused him of delaying the NOC for Prasanthan's petrol pump in Chengalayi, Kannur. Divya's statement has not yet been recorded in the case.
There are also questions surrounding Prasanthan's financial capacity, as it remains unclear how an electrician could afford the significant capital—reportedly over one crore rupees—needed to establish a petrol pump. The Health Department has launched a probe into Prasanthan's financial affairs.
The department will probe whether Prasanthan violated service rules by operating a petrol pump while employed as an electrician at Pariyaram Government Medical College. The Directorate of Medical Education (DME) has also requested an explanation from the Medical College Principal.
Prasanthan had previously filed a complaint with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, claiming he paid Rs 98,500 as a bribe to ADM Naveen for the NoC to start a petrol pump in Chengalayi. He alleged that Naveen delayed his application and, on October 6, demanded a bribe of Rs 1 lakh. “The ADM threatened to cause problems for the business owned by my relatives and friends if I didn't pay. Thus, I handed over Rs 98,500 to him at his quarters in Pallikkunnu and received the NoC two days later,” Prasanthan stated in the plaint.