Kannur Collector clarifies Divya not invited to Naveen’s farewell, reiterates good rapo with ADM

Kannur: Kannur Collector Arun K. Vijayan has stated that P. P. Divya was not invited by him to the farewell ceremony for ADM Naveen Babu, who took his own life. In response to media inquiries, the Collector explained that he had not contacted Divya following Naveen's death and that all relevant details have been provided to the police as part of the ongoing investigation.

The Collector mentioned that phone records related to the case have been submitted to the police. He reiterated that Divya was not invited by him to the farewell event and clarified that he has not applied for leave or requested a transfer. He stated that all these are government decision, and it will proceed accordingly.

When asked about Divya's claim that she attended the farewell on his request, Arun declined to respond saying that it is just her statement. He confirmed that he had not been in touch with Divya since Naveen's death and declined to answer whether he spoke to the ADM after the farewell ceremony.

The Collector also said he had a very good relationship with Naveen. He also refuted claims of Naveen's family of not granting him leave. He noted that matters on leave should be examined within the proper channels and suggested that no such issues had arisen.

The Collector also addressed questions regarding a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for a petrol pump, stating that he had not discussed this matter with Divya. He explained that a preliminary inspection was conducted concerning the petrol pump NOC, and the investigation team had raised questions about it. The report from this preliminary examination has been submitted to the Joint LRC. He added that this petrol pump issue had not been previously noticed.

Finally, the Collector denied allegations that he was attempting to hide statements regarding the investigation. He explained that the questioning took place at night because it was a convenient time after office hours, and the interrogation was held at his official residence. He also added that the timing was also suitable for those involved in the inquiry.