The Taliparamba Magistrate Court has ordered former Kannur district panchayat president PP Divya to be held in judicial custody for two weeks in connection with the suicide of ADM K Naveen Babu. Divya was remanded to the women’s prison in Pallikkunnu following her surrender to the police after her anticipatory bail request was denied. Outside the magistrate’s residence, protests erupted as Youth Congress, Youth League, and Yuva Morcha activists rallied with black flags, resulting in a tense standoff with police.
Today, Divya is expected to file a bail application in the Thalassery Principal Sessions Court, a move that Naveen Babu’s family plans to oppose. Additionally, the Kannur District Secretariat is set to meet to consider possible disciplinary measures against her. Her request for anticipatory bail had been previously rejected due to multiple inconsistencies, and Judge KT Nisar Ahmad observed that Divya’s actions suggested an intent to humiliate Naveen, as she allegedly arrived at his farewell gathering uninvited, recorded a video, and circulated it publicly to defame him.
The court determined that Divya’s claims of merely criticizing alleged corruption and attempting to raise public awareness were insufficient. It noted the absence of any evidence for the corruption allegations against Naveen. Despite her defense that her actions were not intended to provoke suicide, the court ruled that her speech and the resulting events contributed to Naveen’s death, leading to the charge of abetment.