Kannur: An inquiry report by Joint Land Revenue Commissioner A Geetha has concluded that there was no evidence to prove that former Kannur Additional District Magistrate (ADM) K Naveen Babu received a bribe to issue a no-objection certificate (NoC) to a petrol pump. Revenue Minister K Rajan handed over the probe report to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday.
The report asserted Naveen Babu's innocence and clarified that the former ADM had not delayed the file on the petrol station. The report stated that Babu was not an officer who kept files in abeyance and had never done anything illegal.
The report also mentions that the ADM confided to District Collector Arun K Vijayan that he had committed a mistake. However, the report does not mention the 'mistake' or any evidence. Geetha has noted that the Collector did not enquire about the mistake or ask him to elaborate on the matter. In the written statement, Arun Vijayan denied conspiracy claims ahead of the farewell function and reiterated that he had not invited former District Panchayat President PP Divya to the event.
The former district panchayat president had asked the collector about the timings of the farewell function while they both attended another event on the morning of October 14. The collector also mentioned the delay in relieving Babu from duty due to a shortage of officials.
The report concluded that Divya circulated the video clip of her humiliating Babu during the farewell event. The joint commissioner also recorded statements and visuals from employees of the media channel, which used the video. However, Divya's statement was not recorded since she did not cooperate with the probe.
An examination of the file during the probe revealed that the former ADM took a legally favourable stand on TV Prashanth's application for the petrol station. Other employees corroborated this fact. Despite the allegations, the report proved that Babu did not withhold the file without issuing the final NoC.
Meanwhile, the former ADM's wife, Manjusha, slammed the Collector for his misleading statements. “In the video, the collector was sporting a subtle smile when Naveen Babu sat disheartened. If the collector had consoled the ADM afterwards, he might not have taken this extreme measure. I find it hard to believe his statements. I do not think Naveen Babu would express his concerns to someone he was hesitant to approach for additional leave. Furthermore, the Kannur Collector said nothing while the family was receiving Babu's body, so why is he speaking about such statements now?" she said. She also stated that she was satisfied with the case proceedings so far.
Former ADM Naveen Babu was found dead in his official residence in Kannur on October 15, a day after the farewell function in which Divya publicly accused him of being corrupt. The function was organised after Babu was transferred to Pathanamthitta. CPM's Kannur district committee member Divya, who was on the run after the official's death, surrendered on October 29, a few hours after the Principal Sessions Court in Thalassery had rejected her anticipatory bail.
