From PG 1

Kannur

In a tragic event, Naveen Babu, the Additional District Magistrate (ADM) of Kannur, was found dead at his home on Tuesday. His body was discovered hanging in the morning, while his wife was at Chengannur railway station waiting for him. Babu had only seven months left before his retirement and had recently been transferred back to his home district of Pathanamthitta.

Reports indicate that Babu was upset following a send-off event on Monday afternoon, where CPI(M) leader P.P. Divya made disrespectful comments about him. Divya, who was not invited to the event, claimed that Babu had delayed sanctioning a petrol pump despite multiple requests but had granted the approval just two days before his retirement. She threatened to reveal more about the matter soon before leaving the event.

When Babu’s wife learned he hadn’t boarded the train, she tried to contact him, only to find out about his suicide. The Congress party has since protested outside Babu’s home, demanding a thorough investigation. Kannur district Congress president Martin George expressed distrust in the police, insisting that an unbiased team should conduct the inquiry. Meanwhile, state BJP president K. Surendran called for Divya to resign and for police to investigate her involvement in the situation, stating that the local collector should also provide a statement regarding the incident.