Kannur ADM found hanging at his residence a day after CPI(M) leader accused him of corruption in farewell party

Kannur (Kerala): In what appears to be a case of suicide, Kannur Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Naveen Babu was found hanging at his government quarters in Pallikunnu on Tuesday.

Various political and government staff organizations took out marches to the Collectorate and the District Panchayat office in protest against Babu's death.

erala Revenue minister K Rajan sought a detailed report from District Collector Arun K Vijayan on the death of ADM.

Rajan opined that the track record of the ADM is good.

The gunmen of the District Collector found Babu hanging in his bedroom, after the relatives of the ADM informed that Naveen Babu did not reach Chengannur Railway station in Malabar express this morning when they arrived there to pick up him following his transfer to Pathanamthitta from Kannur.

This information led to conduct a search operation and he was found hanging at his residence.

CPI(M) leader and Kannur district Panchayat president P P Divya on Monday levelled corrupt allegations against Naveen Babu during his farewell function related to his request transfer from Kannur to his own district Pathanamthitta in the presence of District Collector Arun K Vijayan and Revenue staff and media.

Divya arrived at the farewell function though uninvited by the organizing committee and levelled corrupt allegations against ADM related to granting of No Objection Certificate (NOC) to a petrol pump at Cheranmoola near Chengali.

It is believed that ADM took the extreme step due to this insult.

Naveen Babu was appointed as ADM in Kannur following his transfer from Kasaragod district and he has seven more months of service.

He was survived by Manjula, Additional Tahasildar of Konni and two daughters . Town police registered a case of unnatural death and inquest was conducted on the body and sent it to Kannur Medical College hospital at Pariyaram for Post-mortem.

BJP, Congress, IUML has demanded the resignation of PP Divya from the post and police should register a case for abetment to sucide against her. Police forcibly removed the agitators from the District Collectorate and Panchayat President's office.

Divya alleged that ADM attempted to manipulate the process for granting NOC for a petrol pump and also claimed that all the details regarding this incident would be revealed within two days.

Meanwhile, T V Prasanth, petrol pump owner, told media persons that he handed over Rs 98,500 to Naveen Babu on October 6 at his residence and received NOC on October 8. The mortal remains would be taken to his native place at Pathanamthitta in the evening after post-mortem.