Divya remain sole accused, Prashanthan to be acquitted; charge sheet in Naveen Babu's death soon

KANNUR: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is set to file a charge sheet in the case of ADM Naveen Babu’s death after the High Court dismissed the family's plea for a CBI investigation. Kannur ACP T.K. Ratnakumar, the investigating officer, plans to retrieve the case diary previously submitted to the High Court.

The charge sheet suggests that Naveen Babu, the Kannur ADM, died by suicide following alleged abuse by former district panchayat president P.P. Divya at a farewell meeting on October 14, 2023. As a result, Divya will be charged with abetment to suicide and will remain the sole accused in the case. TV Prashanthan, a Sreekandapuram Chengalayi native who had accused Naveen of bribery, is not being named as an accused.

The High Court Division Bench found no errors in the SIT’s investigation, clearing the way for the team to finalize the charge sheet. Under the leadership of DIG G.H. Yatheesh Chandra, the investigation team- comprising City Police Commissioner Nithinraj, ACP T.K. Ratnakumar, and Town SHO Sreejith Koderi - completed the probe.

The SIT aims to finalize the charge sheet within a week and will submit it to the court following the DIG’s review.