Kerala High Court Allows PP Divya To Access Documents Filed In Plea For CBI Probe Into ADM Naveen Babu's Death

The single bench of Justice Kauser Edappagath passed the above order in an application filed by Divya in the writ petition filed by Manjusha seeking CBI probe into Naveen Babu's death.

Court ordered, “Going by the decisions of this Court in Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham Trust v. Surendranath and Ors. [2022 (6) KHC 33] and Vivek Nair v. Puravankara Projects Limited [2017 (3) KHC 387], the petitioner is entitled for the documents sought for. The Registry is directed to issue certified copies of the documents mentioned above in terms of the direction in Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham Trust (supra).”

Divya had approached the High Court seeking certified copy of the memorandum of writ petition along with exhibits produced by the writ petitioner and also the documents, counter affidavit, reply affidavit and statements in the writ petition filed seeking CBI probe, since she was not a party in the writ petition.

Naveen Babu was found hanging in his official quarters on October 15, 2024. Divya, a member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) which has currently formed the government in Kerala was accused of abetting Babu's suicide by humiliating him in public, during his farewell function. Manjusha alleged a homicidal angle to the incident and argued that due to Divya's political influence, the investigation must be carried out by an impartial and independent agency like the CBI, rather than the Special Investigation Team (SIT).

The writ petition seeking CBI probe was dismissed by the High Court observing that Divya's ties with the ruling political dispensation was not ground to transfer investigation to the CBI.

Thereafter, Manjusha filed writ appeal stating that the CBI probe was refused without considering the flaws and discrepancies in the SIT investigation. Recently, the High Court dismissed the writ appeal also stating that there is no legitimate apprehension that the present SIT investigation is partial or improper.

Case Title: P.P. Divya v Manjusha K

Case No: IA 1/2025 In WP(Crl.) No. 1297 OF 2024

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