CBI expresses willingness to investigate Naveen Babu’s death; No foul play, says police

Kochi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has informed the Kerala High Court of its willingness to take over the probe into the death of Naveen Babu, former Additional District Magistrate (ADM) of Kannur. However, the state government maintains that a CBI inquiry is unnecessary, asserting that the police investigation is proceeding in the right direction.

Justice Kauser Edappagath noted that the court would review the case diary before making a decision and scheduled further hearings for December 12. Naveen Babu's wife, Manjusha, had filed a petition requesting a CBI investigation, which remains under consideration.

Earlier directives to present the case diary and submit the investigation report had not been followed, prompting the court's intervention. A previous bench had also reviewed the matter, questioning whether the CBI was ready to investigate. The agency indicated its readiness, subject to a court order.

The court emphasized that evidence supporting claims of bias or political influence in the police investigation is currently lacking. The mere allegation of political connections does not warrant concluding that the case has been misdirected.

A special investigation team under the oversight of the Kannur Commissioner is handling the case, with regular updates being provided to senior officials, including the DIG and IG of the North Zone. The court sought clarification from the petitioner on whether the investigation team's leadership was satisfactory.

Manjusha reiterated her stance that a CBI inquiry was essential, citing suspicions of foul play, including allegations of homicide. However, the prosecution stated that no injuries were found during the post-mortem and inquest. The court directed the government to file a counter-affidavit in response to the petitioner’s claims.

Police Deny Evidence of Foul Play in Naveen Babu’s Death

Kochi: The Kerala police have stated that there is no evidence to suggest foul play in the death of Naveen Babu. Due to delays in the arrival of family members, the inquest was conducted in the presence of five independent witnesses. Evidence, including CCTV footage, has been collected.

According to the counter-affidavit submitted by the investigating officer, Kannur Town SHO Sreejith Kodery, via Additional Public Prosecutor P. Narayanan, phone call records of key individuals, including accused P.P. Divya and complainant Prashanth, were examined. The affidavit clarified that the investigation team is functioning independently and is not influenced by the ruling CPM party.

The police asserted that a special investigation team under the District Police Chief, with oversight by the Kannur DIG and North Zone IG, is handling the case effectively. Regular progress reports are submitted to senior officials, and no further inquiry by the CBI is deemed necessary.