No CBI probe into death of Naveen Babu; High Court dismisses wife's plea

KOZHIKODE: The High Court has dismissed the appeal filed by the family of former Kannur ADM Naveen Babu, seeking a CBI investigation into his death. Earlier, a single bench of the High Court had rejected a similar plea, prompting his wife, Manjusha, to appeal to the division bench. Currently, a special investigation team under the supervision of the Kannur Range IG is probing the case.

The appeal argued that Naveen might have been murdered and hanged to make it appear like suicide and that the single bench had not properly analyzed the facts. However, the division bench, comprising Justice P.B. Suresh Kumar and Justice Jobin Sebastian, rejected the appeal. Manjusha had demanded a CBI probe, alleging that the accused, P.P. Divya, had strong political influence, which could impact the investigation.

Naveen Babu was found dead on October 15, 2024, at his quarters, a day after former Kannur District Panchayat President P.P. Divya made remarks against him at a farewell event. His family had raised suspicions about the death from the beginning, claiming it was a murder and that Divya's political connections had prevented a proper investigation.

There were discrepancies in the inquest and post-mortem reports. The blood flow pattern suggested that the body had been on the floor for a considerable period before being hanged, leading to suspicions that Naveen Babu's body might have been hanged after his death. Additionally, there was no saliva discharge from his mouth, suggesting he had died earlier. His tongue was found bitten, which could indicate suffocation. The presence of bloodstains on his underwear was not explained in the post-mortem report, with a doctor later suggesting that it might have been due to a bladder stone. The petition also claimed that the police were unwilling to investigate allegations of conspiracy involving Divya, the Kannur Collector, and a witness named Prasanth. However, the division bench ultimately dismissed the appeal.