KANNUR: The Thalassery District Court will pronounce the verdict on the bail plea of former Kannur district panchayat president P P Divya, remanded in the case in connection with the death of ADM K Naveen Babu, on Friday. The case was postponed after hearing the arguments of Divya, the prosecution and the family of the ADM.

Naveen's wife Manjusha had also joined the plea opposing the bail plea. Divya is presently lodged in Pallikunnu Women's Jail. Divya surrendered after the Thalassery Principal Sessions Court rejected her anticipatory bail plea in the case registered by the town police.

Divya's lawyer argued that the ADM had accepted bribe. Divya's lawyer told the court that Prasanthan was suspended from work for giving bribe, the ADM spoke to Prasanthan on the phone and that there are CCTV visuals of the meeting of the two. Divya's lawyer, advocate K Viswan, requested the court to grant bail after considering the fact that Prasanthan had taken a gold loan of Rs 1 lakh from the cooperative bank and that he had been at the same tower location with ADM on the next day, as circumstantial evidence.

The prosecution asked whether the phone call could be considered as bribe. Not only the bribe allegation, but also a breach of discipline was the reason for the action against Prasanthan. The prosecution also asked how it could be evidence of bribery if ADM and Prasanthan spoke on the phone.

The family of Naveen Babu argued that the police did not arrest Divya after the arrest and instead hid her. The police did not record the statement of ADM's wife. Despite being given notices twice, Divya did not cooperate with the investigation. Naveen Babu's lawyer argued that the claim that Divya did not have the intention to lead him to suicide is incorrect.