Kannur District Collector Arun K. Vijayan has clarified that he did not invite former district panchayat president P.P. Divya to the farewell event of former Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Naveen Babu.
His statement came in response to questions from the media on Saturday (October 19, 2024) after Ms. Divya had claimed in her bail petition that she attended the event based on the Collector’s invitation.
Mr. Vijayan said the farewell was organised by the staff council and not by him, adding that he was “not responsible” for inviting anyone to the event.
He explained that he had sent a letter to Naveen Babu’s family not as an admission of guilt but to express his condolences and share in their grief.
Meanwhile, Land Revenue Joint Commissioner A. Geetha was recording the statement of Mr. Vijayan.
Following instructions from Revenue Minister K. Rajan, Mr. Vijayan was also relieved from his responsibility of investigating the circumstances surrounding Naveen Babu’s death.
Published – October 19, 2024 01:17 pm IST
