Thiruvananthapuram | The UDF government in Kerala is likely to hand over the investigation into the death of ADM Naveen Babu to the CBI.

Congress MLA Pazhakulam Madhu said on Sunday that Chief Minister V D Satheesan has assured Babu's widow of a CBI probe when she met him at his office in the State Assembly on May 29. "A decision is expected at the next Cabinet meeting," the Ranni MLA told PTI.

According to Madhu, Babu's family sought the chief minister's intervention because they were unhappy with the police investigation into the case, which triggered a political controversy in Kerala in 2024.

Former Kannur District Panchayat President P P Divya is the sole accused in the case.

Babu was found dead at his official residence in Kannur on October 14, 2024, a day after Divya allegedly made corruption allegations against him at a public farewell function at the Kannur district collectorate.

In March this year, the Thalassery Additional Sessions Court ordered a further investigation into Babu's death.

The court allowed petitions filed by Babu's family seeking a fresh probe and the production of call data records from Divya's official mobile phone.

Police had earlier registered a case and later filed a charge sheet against Divya, accusing her of abetment of suicide.

Facing criticism from the then-opposition parties, the CPI(M) leadership in Kannur had removed Divya from the post.

She was later demoted from the party's district committee to the branch committee and stripped of all elected positions within the party.