Gireesh Babu, a Right to Information (RTI) activist and the man behind many legal battles that triggered political controversies, including the recent alleged Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited-pay off case, was found dead in the first floor of his home in Kalamassery on Monday morning. He was 47.
He had asked his wife to wake him up around 7 am since he had to go to the High Court in connection with a case. His door was bolted from inside and he was unresponsive when wife repeatedly knocked the door around 6.45 am.
Following this, neighbours rushed in and broke a portion of the door and unbolted it. Gireesh Babu was found lying on the bed with his face down. He had been undergoing treatment for a while for brain-related health issues.
The Kalamassery police were alerted and an inquest of the body was conducted.
He had initiated legal battles in many cases of public interest through Public Interest Litigations (PIL). Recently a Vigilance Special court had rejected a plea seeking an investigation into the alleged illegal financial transactions between Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter T. Veena, and prominent UDF leaders including the late Oommen Chandy. He had since approached the High Court.