Photo: P.P. Divya( Facebook/P.P. Divya)
Raju G. Mendez
A bail for justification of what was spoken, through the legal proceedings! If we can trust her words, PP Divya the prime accused who has been jailed followed by the suicide of Palakkadu (Kerala) late ADM Naveen Babu, said she is very much distressed at the unfortunate and untimely death of Naveen Babu, as if a mother cries out against her child in her lap, when out of frustration called it slut and naughty baby, and then finally falls to sleep hugging and kissing it affectionately.
Let us hope! her utterings were not to promote her ‘holiness’ in the world only by talk; not as a hypocrite or talkative persons like her may do, but by a profuse subjection from the core of her heart, in faith and love, to the power of the word, once used by her indiscreetly, which paved way for the death of Naveen Babu.
The great poet in Malayalam, Kunjunni Mash wrote “Vaakkolam ookkilla thokkinumey”(Even the rifles fail miserably at the power of word) The tragedy is, that PP Divya along with some of us would have not come across in essence the poet he was, who lived the simplest of a life, minced in his words, is a pity indeed!
Ten or eleven days in incarceration should have brought to her mind in retrospective hours of silence and solitude, the gravity of her sin committed by words of ‘Power Politics’, a state of mind that had eaten up her humanity of womanhood, ironically which made a gateway to her bail, despite the significance of public uproar against the crime, the Honorable Court specifically mentioned as a Conditional Clause while granting bail.
A Thalassery Sessions Court (Kerala)granted PP Divya, accused in the suicide of late ADM Naveen Babu, regular bail after observing that even though anticipatory bail is granted only in exceptional cases, in regular bail cases. The ground for bail is, “BAIL IS THE RULE AND JAIL IS AN EXCEPTION.” The trial court added that a prima facie case existed against Divya under Section 108 (abetment of suicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS). In addition, the court found that it was unnecessary to continue keeping her in jail since she was complying with the legal proceedings. The court said “I am of the opinion that the prosecution could not bring this case to the exception of withholding bail and to keep the petitioner in jail. I am of the opinion that, further incarceration of the petitioner is not required in this case and she can be granted bail. But, of course with strict conditions,” the court said.
As against, the concern raised by the prosecution was the potential for witness tampering, given Divya’s political influence. The prosecution argued that her position within the CPI (M) District Committee and her established social standing could be used to exert undue pressure on key witnesses.
In view of this, a precautionary measure and maybe a rebuttal to this argument Ms. Divya was demoted from the Kannur district committee to a branch, a significant downgrade in her status within the party. According to CPM Divya’s actions have been deemed a “serious failure,” The CPI(M)’s decision coincides with the judicial proceedings in the Thalassery District Court.
Ultimately, CPM is safe, The Court is safe and finally, PP Divya is also safe, except for the bereaved family of Naveen Babu and the public who look forward to getting justice done.
Further, we can expect greatly that the great part of the rest of her journey as a public servant being a cadre of the party (CPM) and a respondent to the case in the discussion, and not as a woman of threatening words, but rather a felon that stands before the court, at the least when the Honorable Court kept ‘womanhood’ formidable and lofty. Kudos! to womanhood.
“There is nothing in this world more personal, as nurturing or as life-changing as the influence of a righteous woman.”(M. Russel Ballard).
( Raju G. Mendez is a language and life skills trainer, writer, and Journalist based in Thiruvananthapuram )
