Kerala Official's Suicide: Health Dept suspends Kannur Medical College employee for service rule Violations

Kannur: The Director of Medical Education (DME) recently suspended a staff member at Kannur Government Medical College on grounds of taking unauthorized leave, serious breach of discipline and misconduct. This staff member had previously lodged complaints with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, alleging bribery against former Kannur ADM Naveen Babu. 

It was after the ADM committed suicide that a report emerged that Prasanth had complained to CM Vijayan that it was only after he paid a bribe of Rs 98,500 to Babu that he got the final sanction of a petrol pump for which he had applied in Kannur.

Prasanth is an electrician at the hospital and based on a report from the Health Department, he was suspended from service for violating the rule that anyone working for the government cannot engage in private business.

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Based on a detailed probe report submitted by the Additional Chief Secretary and the Joint Director of Medical Education highlighting a serious breach of discipline and code of conduct, the DME on Saturday suspended him. 

According to the report, a probe team conducted a site visit to Kannur Medical College on October 23. Their findings revealed that Prasanth had been on unauthorized leave since October 10. During this period, it was alleged that he engaged in a private venture for financial gain even while being a staff of the Medical College accounted for a serious breach of discipline and code of conduct.

As per the Onmanorama news report, the investigation further uncovered that Prasanth had reportedly offered a bribe to pursue personal benefits. Based on these findings, the report recommended severe disciplinary measures. After reviewing the probe report, the government directed the DME to enforce strict disciplinary action, leading to Prasanth's immediate suspension from service.

Incidentally, the purported reason why Naveen Babu took the extreme step was that at a send-off function for him on October 14, following his transfer to his home town Pathanamthitta ahead of his retirement a few months ahead, uninvited CPI-M leader P.P. Divya, who was also the Kannur district panchayat President, launched an attack on him in her speech, IANS reports. 

Divya said that a person had approached her to speak to the ADM with regards to the sanctioning of a petrol pump station, which the official had not been clearing despite several requests.

"Just two days before, Babu gave the sanction. I know how the sanction was given and I reveal all the details in two days," she said.

A few days after the official committed suicide, sparking a massive uproar, the CPI-M asked Divya to quit. The police also registered a case against her and after that, she is on the run. A court in Kannur has reserved, for Tuesday, its orders on her pre-arrest bail plea.

It has also now surfaced that Prasanth and Divya’s husband are colleagues at the state-run medical college and hospital at Kannur. Questions have also been raised on how an ordinary electrician can set up a petrol pump.

Meanwhile, the Congress and the BJP are up in arms and claim that the complaint given to Vijayan’s office by Prasanth is a fake one as the name and signature are not his. They have alleged that if a proper probe takes place will reach the office of CM Vijayan and the CPI-M headquarters.

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