IAS officer’s suicide: CPM leader Divya removed from post

CPI(M) leader P P Divya, who was earlier in the day booked for the offence of abetment to suicide in connection with the recent death of former ADM Naveen Babu, was on Thursday removed from the post of Kannur District Panchayat president by the Left party.

Babu allegedly died by suicide after Divya levelled corruption allegations against him during his farewell party following his transfer to his home district of Pathanamthitta as Additional District Magistrate for the last few months of his government service.

Hours after his remains were cremated at his home in Malayalapuzha in Pathanamthitta district, the CPI(M) leader was removed from the post. Her removal was announced by the CPI(M)’s Kannur District Secretariat late on Thursday night.

It was also announced that advocate K K Ratnakumari would take over as the Kannur District Panchayat president.

Earlier in the day, Divya was booked under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in the FIR registered at Kannur Town police station.

The offence is non-bailable and carries a punishment of 10 years imprisonment.

The district secretariat, in its statement, said that it was of the view that she should step down from the post as the police were investigating the case against her and Divya too agreed with the same.

Divya too issued a statement in which she expressed sadness over Babu’s death, conveyed her condolences to the family and assured to cooperate with the police investigation. She said she will prove her innocence through legal means.

She further said that she agreed with the district secretariat’s stand that her remarks were merely a well-intentioned criticism against corruption, but she should have refrained from such comments during the send-off meeting.

Divya said that, given the ongoing police investigation against her, she believed it was necessary to step down as District Panchayat president and thus, she tendered her resignation.