CPI-M Anticipates Verdict in Naveen Babu Suicide Case Following Periya Twin Murder Ruling
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Kochi, Jan 4 (NationPress) A day after a CBI court here sentenced 10 CPI-M workers to a double life term and four others, including a former party legislator, to five years' imprisonment in the Periya twin murder case, the ruling party's senior leaders are keenly awaiting the Kerala High Court's ruling regarding a CBI investigation requested by the wife of Naveen Babu.
Babu, the Additional District Magistrate at Kannur, was discovered hanging in his official residence last October.
The Periya twin murder case significantly impacted the CPI-M leadership as 14 leaders from Kasargod, including former legislator K.V. Kunhiraman, were found guilty and sentenced to prison. This ruling has compounded the party’s difficulties as they await the High Court’s decision in the Naveen Babu case.
In the Naveen Babu suicide case, his wife, K. Manjusha, who works in the government, has called for a CBI investigation. The high court wrapped up hearings on December 12 and has reserved its verdict. Manjusha argues that the state police are unlikely to conduct a fair investigation, particularly since the sole accused in the case is P.P. Divya, a young CPI-M leader who stepped down as Kannur district panchayat president due to public backlash.
The incident escalated when Divya attended Babu’s farewell gathering uninvited and made disparaging comments accusing him of corruption. Babu, known for his integrity, was found dead the next day. Manjusha’s attorney contended that the presence of pronounced ligature marks on Babu’s neck calls for a rigorous and scientific investigation by the CBI. They also pointed out inconsistencies in the inquest and post-mortem examinations.
The CPI-M and the Pinarayi Vijayan government have strongly opposed a CBI investigation in the Babu case, paralleling their stance in the Periya twin murder case. In that case, the parents of Youth Congress workers Kripesh (19) and P.K. Sarath Lal (24), who were brutally murdered in 2019, had to appeal to the High Court to secure a CBI investigation. Despite hiring some of the country’s finest lawyers, the CPI-M could not prevent the conviction of 14 of its members.
In the Babu case, the involvement of T.V. Prasanth, an electrician, has also raised concerns. Prasanth accused Babu of soliciting a bribe to approve a petrol pump project. Following Babu’s death, an email complaint from Prasanth to the Chief Minister surfaced, garnering support for Divya. However, it was later clarified that the Chief Minister’s office had never received such an email.
Moreover, Prasanth’s financial capability to apply for a petrol pump and his connections to Divya’s husband, who is a colleague at Kannur Medical College Hospital, have come under scrutiny.
Manjusha has alleged a conspiracy and insists that only a CBI investigation can reveal the truth. CPI-M state secretary M.V. Govindan has lambasted the CBI, claiming it is a tool for political vendetta by the central government. He stated that the party would challenge the Periya case verdict and continue to oppose the CBI investigation in the Babu case.
With the CBI’s involvement leading to significant setbacks for the CPI-M in the Periya case, the party is tense as it awaits the High Court's ruling in the Babu suicide case. The outcome could have considerable repercussions for the CPI-M and the Pinarayi Vijayan government.
