Naveen Babu death: IAS Officers' Association decry 'personal attacks' on Kannur Collector

Kannur: The Kerala IAS Officers' Association on Tuesday expressed solidarity with Kannur District Collector Arun K Vijayan in connection with the death of Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Naveen Babu. While they condoled the passing of their colleague, the association believes Arun is being subjected to unwarranted personal attacks and insinuations in the public domain.

In a press release, the association said: "The Revenue Department is probing the circumstances leading to Naveen's death. The association believes Arun has deposed in a truthful manner before the investigation. We request everyone to avoid canvassing premature judgements on the questions being examined by the authorities concerned and refrain from launching personal attacks on the officer."

Following Naveen Babu's death, Arun has been coping with resentment from the Revenue Department staff, who felt he should have protected the ADM from Divya's criticism.

CITU leader Malayalapuzha Mohanan had alleged that Arun insisted on organising a farewell event despite Naveen's objections. CITU leader Malayalapuzha Mohanan alleged: "Naveen resisted the farewell as he still had time left in service. However, the Collector pushed for it and invited P P Divya to the event. How can an uninvited guest speak at the event without the Collector's permission? The possibility of a conspiracy must be examined."

Arun denied the allegation and said it was not him who organised the farewell event but the Staff Council. He also said he did not invite anyone to the meeting. However, former District Panchayat president PP Divya claimed the collector had invited her to the farewell function.

An inquiry report by Joint Land Revenue Commissioner A Geetha stated the ADM confided to Arun K Vijayan that he had committed a mistake. However, the report does not mention the 'mistake' or any evidence. Geetha noted that the Collector did not enquire about the mistake or ask him to elaborate on the matter.

Naveen'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," she said.

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 surrendered on October 29, a few hours after the Principal Sessions Court in Thalassery rejected her anticipatory bail.