Thiruvananthapuram: The State Government has issued an official notification ordering a CBI probe into the death of former Kannur ADM Naveen Babu. This crucial decision was made taking into account the long-standing demand raised by his family.

The emergency decision to hand over the case to the CBI was taken during the Cabinet meeting held on Thursday. Along with transferring the probe to the CBI, the Cabinet meeting also decided to provide a government job to Naveen Babu’s daughter, Niranjana Nair, under the compassionate appointment scheme.

From the very beginning, the family had expressed dissatisfaction with the police investigation conducted following Naveen Babu's death. Recently, Naveen Babu's wife had visited the Legislative Assembly complex to meet Chief Minister V D Satheesan and demand a CBI inquiry. The Congress had previously made it clear that a CBI investigation would be ensured once the UDF came to power. The family hopes that with the CBI taking over the case, a more robust investigation will be carried out against those including CPM leader P P Divya.

Naveen Babu's death has triggered major political controversies. The CPM leadership, which had initially stood with Naveen Babu's family and denounced P P Divya, changed its stance after the CBI probe was announced. Leaders including E P Jayarajan alleged that the CBI investigation is a collusion with the Central Government. Previously, leaders including former Revenue Minister K Rajan had rejected the CPM's stance and come forward in support of Naveen Babu's family.

The Naveen Babu death case

K Naveen Babu was found dead at his official residence at Kannur in October 2024. The tragedy occurred just a day after his official farewell ceremony, where he was allegedly publicly humiliated by the then-Kannur District Panchayat president and CPM leader, P P Divya. During the farewell meeting, which she attended uninvited, Divya levelled serious corruption allegations against the ADM regarding the issuance of a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for a petrol pump in Chengalayi. She allegedly stated that she would present proof within two days and left the venue before the officer could respond. Devastated by the public humiliation on the eve of his retirement transfer to his home district of Pathanamthitta, Naveen Babu allegedly took his own life. The incident sparked widespread outrage across the state, with revenue officials and political opposition demanding strict action against Divya for abetment of suicide.

Following the incident, P P Divya was removed from her official post and subsequently arrested after her anticipatory bail plea was rejected by the court. While she was later granted bail, Naveen Babu’s family—particularly his wife, Manjusha—approached the High Court of Kerala seeking a central agency probe. The family alleged that the local police investigation was compromised and aimed at protecting influential political figures involved in the conspiracy.
Yielding to mounting legal and public pressure, the state government has now cleared the deck for the CBI to take over the case completely, aiming for a transparent and independent inquiry into the circumstances that led to the bureaucrat's tragic demise.