Kannur: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has once again recorded the statement of District Collector Arun K Vijayan in connection with the death of ADM Naveen Babu. Earlier, the collector’s statement that the ADM had admitted to making “a mistake” had come to light. The additional questioning aimed to clarify this statement further.
Naveen Babu’s family had raised objections to the collector’s statement, alleging that he was trying to shield former District Panchayat President P.P. Divya. The family had also reiterated this accusation in the High Court. Following their request for a CBI inquiry, the SIT recorded the collector’s statement again.
In the departmental inquiry conducted by the Joint Commissioner of Land Revenue, the collector had provided a similar statement. However, this detail was reportedly missing from the preliminary report submitted by the collector after Naveen Babu’s death. The collector’s initial statement to the police was recorded on October 22, and the same details were reiterated in the latest statement.
Meanwhile, the High Court has directed the state police to submit the case diary related to the investigation. Naveen Babu’s family claimed in court that his death was not a suicide but a murder and alleged that the police were attempting to protect P.P. Divya, a CPM Kannur district committee member and an accused in the case. The single bench, which admitted the petition seeking a CBI investigation, has sought responses from the state government and the CBI.
