Arun K. Vijayan ( Photo from Face book)
Kannur: District Collector Arun K. Vijayan stated that he was not the organizer of the farewell ceremony for Naveen Babu, the former ADM of Kannur. The Staff Council was responsible for organizing the event. He explained that the District Panchayat President was not stopped from attending the ceremony to avoid a protocol violation. However, when asked whether Divya, the District Panchayat President, was invited to the event, the Collector did not provide a clear answer. He mentioned that he found it difficult to comment further due to the announcement of an investigation, adding that the inquiry would proceed as planned and that he would cooperate with it. He also stated that the letter sent to Naveen Babu’s family was not an admission of guilt, but rather a way to express condolences for their loss. The Collector described Naveen Babu’s death as unfortunate.
P.P. Divya had previously denied the claim that she entered the event without an invitation. She stated in her anticipatory bail application that the Kannur Collector informed her about the meeting during another event and that she was invited to the farewell. This raised suspicions about the Collector’s statements. The investigation team may seek clarification from the Collector regarding the invitation of someone unrelated to the event.
The Kannur Collector has been removed from the ongoing inquiry into the events leading to ADM Naveen Babu’s death. The responsibility for the investigation has been handed over to A. Geetha, the Joint Commissioner of Land Revenue. Following the allegations against the Collector, the Revenue Department Minister issued an order to assign the inquiry to another official.
