Kannur: The CPM on Thursday decided to take disciplinary action against former Kannur District Panchayat president PP Divya, accused of abetting the death of former Additional District Magistrate Naveen Babu, and remove her from all elected party posts. The CPM district committee decided to take a call on Divya, a district committee member, during an emergency meeting and informed the state committee, which approved the proposal. Divya will continue in the party as a branch member under the Irinavu CPM local committee. The district committee is expected to make an official announcement in this regard on Friday.

In its meeting, the district committee assessed Divya's "serious lapse" in handling the situation regarding Naveen Babu. The action, which comes three weeks after Naveen Babu's death, is also being speculated as a damage control measure by the party ahead of the bypolls in the state.

The district committee initially backed Divya when a row erupted over Naveen Babu's death. The committee then said Divya's stance against corruption was well-intentioned. However, the tides turned once the Pathanamthitta CPM unit came out against Divya, who resigned from the district panchayat president post and went into hiding. Once the court rejected her anticipatory bail plea, Divya surrendered before the police.