Thiruvananthapuram | The Kerala IAS officers' association has come out in support of Kannur district collector Arun K Vijayan, who has courted controversy following his statement to the police on the death of additional district magistrate K Naveen Babu.

The collector had made a statement to the police that Babu had confided to him that he had 'made a mistake' before he died by suicide on October 15.

The association, in its statement issued on Tuesday, regretted the unwarranted personal attacks and insinuations against the collector, who had provided statements required by the investigating authorities and assisted them in all possible manner.

The association requested everyone to avoid canvassing premature judgements on the questions being examined by criminal courts.

Former Kannur district panchayat president P P Divya, who was arrested on the charge of abetment of suicide of Naveen Babu, is now in judicial custody.

She had publicly criticised Babu at his farewell function, allegedly suggesting that he was corrupt.

The Thalassery principal sessions court is to pronounce an order on her bail application on Friday.