ADM Naveen Babu's death: Sessions Court to consider request for further investigation

KANNUR: The Thalassery Sessions Court will consider the request of Manjusha, the wife of late ADM Naveen Babu, for a further investigation into her husband’s death. The petition filed in the Kannur Judicial First Class Magistrate Court was transferred to the Sessions Court for further hearing.

The High Court and the Supreme Court had rejected the earlier petition filed by his wife seeking a CBI investigation.

Manjusha filed a petition seeking further investigation, alleging bias from the Special Investigation Team that conducted the investigation. The petition pointed out that the investigation was incomplete and that the phone call records of the accused Divya, and Collector Arun K. Vijayan were not produced.

It was alleged that the investigation was conducted in a way to frame Naveen as a corrupt officer. The defence lawyer argued that the case was being unnecessarily prolonged and that the petition for further investigation would not stand. The police had also filed a report demanding that the petition be dismissed.

The police report stated that the accused was found guilty after a thorough examination of all the matters falling within the scope of the investigation of the case. The magistrate court, which considered this report, heard the arguments of both sides, but accepted the argument of the accused Divya's lawyer, Adv. K. Viswanath, who requested that the case be transferred to the Sessions Court.

Manjusha's lawyer argued that the charge sheet submitted to the court had loopholes that allowed the accused to escape. Thirteen errors were pointed out in the petition. The charge sheet states that Naveen Babu took a bribe from Prasanthan. The Land Revenue Commissioner's investigation proved Naveen’s innocence as it busted the rumours of bribery. The petition alleged that the SIT did not conduct a separate investigation into this matter.