Tearful adieu to Kannur ADM; daughters perform last rites

PTI Pathanamthitta(Kerala): Emotional scenes were witnessed at the District Collectorate and at the residence of former Kannur ADM Naveen Babu here, where his mortal remains were kept for public display before his pyre was lit by his daughters on Thursday afternoon. Babu's daughters and his wife, who were inconsolable when his body was brought home at Malayalapuzha here, held back tears stoically as the last rites were performed in the presence of hundreds, which included state ministers K Rajan and Veena George. Babu allegedly died by suicide after the Kannur District Panchayat President P PDivya levelled corruption allegations against him during his farewell party. As his body was brought back to his residence in Malayalapuzha here, police in Kannur booked Divya for the offence of abetment to suicide under section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The offence under section 108 of BNS is nonbailable and carries a punishment of 10 years imprisonment. By 4 PM Babu's remains were cremated. Earlier in the day, senior IAS officers who had worked with Babu during his 30 year long blemishfree government service recalled how hardworking and efficient he was.

A teary-eyed Divya S Iyer, the former Pathanamthitta District Collector, shared in broken words her experience working with Babu, who allegedly died by suicide after Kannur District Panchayat President P PDivya levelled corruption allegations against him during his farewell party. "We worked together as a family. I cannot believe the allegations against him. He worked selflessly. He was a humble person. I cannot comment any further about it as I am a government official. It was really unfortunate. I cannot say anything more than that," she told reporters, as she wiped away the tears streaming down her face. Iyer said that Babu was a person who could never hurt or harm anyone in any manner. "He was very happy when he came to tell me that he got promoted as Deputy Collector of Kasaragod. He was very happy. Took a photo with me and left. That is the last time I saw him in person. So, it is unbearable to see him like this now," she said. IAS officer P B Nooh, another former Pathanamthitta District Collector, recalled his experiences working with Babu. In an emotional Facebook post, Nooh remembered Babu as a gentle person who interacted with people without bureaucratic restrictions and worked very efficiently. He said that the crises during the floods of 2018, the controversies surrounding women's entry into Sabarimala and finally the Covid-19 pandemic could be overcome due to the work done by officials like Babu. "It is unbearable that a person who was always smiling, who never complained about anything, and got along easily with anyone, is finally saying goodbye like this. He deserved a better send off after more than 30 years of service..," Nooh said.

State Revenue Minister K Rajan and Health Minister Veena George also paid tributes to Babu at the collectorate here. As his body reached home from the collectorate, his wife, daughters and other family members came out and cried inconsolably as they sat alongside his remains while neighbours, friends, relatives, colleagues and others who knew Babu turned up to pay their last respects. Meanwhile, MLA P V Anvar accused the CPI(M) and the Left government of trying to depict Babu as a corrupt official and alleged that Chief Minister PinarayiVijayan's political secretary P Sasi was behind it. Additional District Magistrate (ADM), Kannur, Naveen Babu K, who was supposed to reach his home district of Pathanamthitta on Tuesday morning to take charge as ADM there, was found hanging in his quarters. At his farewell ceremony organised a day before that by his colleagues and attended by district Collector Arun K Vijayan, the ADM faced allegations of corruption from Divya, who allegedly attended the event without an official invitation. She had criticised the ADM for delaying the approval of a petrol pump in Chengalai for several months and said he granted approval only two days after being transferred, hinting that she knew the reasons behind this sudden approval. The death of the official came to light when his wife, a tehsildar, and their children went to Chengannur railway station on Tuesday morning to receive Babu, who was supposed to take charge as ADM Pathanamthitta, later in the day. When Babu was not found on the train, the family tried to reach him on his mobile phone, but it went unanswered.

They subsequently contacted his colleagues in Kannur, and during their search, they found Babu hanging in his quarters. The death of Babu has sparked a row in the state, with the opposition Congress seeking the resignation of Divya, who is the ruling CPI(M)'s Kannur district panchayat president, and her arrest. Similar demands have been made by the BJP. Revenue Minister Rajan had earlier said that there were no corruption complaints against Babu and a serious investigation would be conducted into his death. Babu's family has rejected the attempts to portray him as corrupt and claimed that there was a "mystery and conspiracy" behind his death which needs to be investigated.