‘Utterly humiliated’: Thousands bid farewell to Kannur's ADM who committed suicide

Pathanamthitta: Thousands of people bid farewell to Kannur Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Naveen Babu, who committed suicide after CPI-M leader P. P. Divya made serious corruption allegations against him, as the body was placed at the Pathanamthitta Collectorate on Thursday.

Babu’s former colleague Divya S.Iyer was seen crying when she spoke to the media describing Babu as a clean and committed official who always worked for the benefit of the common people.

"He felt utterly humiliated after corruption allegations were made against him. That is why he took such a step," Iyer said.

The people kept flocking to Babu’s house - where the body had been kept before being taken to the final resting place.

Babu was found hanging at his residence in Kannur on Tuesday morning while his wife was waiting to receive him at the Chengannur railway station.

On Monday, Divya barged into Babu’s function at Kannur and alleged that a person called Prasanth had approached her to speak to Babu with regard to the sanctioning of a petrol pump despite several requests, which he (Babu) had not been giving, leaving Babu utterly humiliated.

“Just two days before his retirement, Babu gave the sanction. I know how the sanction was given. I will reveal all the details in two days,” she said and walked out of the function, which left everyone shocked.

Allegedly, Prasanth and Divya’s husband are colleagues and were working at the state-run Pariyaram Medical College hospital in Kannur.

CPI-M State Secretary M.V. Govindan has said that the Divy’a statement was needless and should have been avoided.

Meanwhile, independent Left legislator P.V. Anvar alleged that P. P. Divya’s husband was the “benami” of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s political secretary P. Sasi who also hails from Kannur.

“Babu was controlled by Sasi while Divya’s husband is the ‘benami’ of Sasi. Sasi has several petrol pumps across the state on benami names,” alleged Anvar.

For the past nearly two months Anvar has been levelling corruption charges against ADGP M.R. Ajith Kumar and P. Sasi. However, the CPI-M has given a clean chit to Sasi and has ruled out any probe against him.