Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman, who had allegedly drove a car in an intoxicated state and mowed down journalist K M Basheer, has been suspended.
The suspension order was issued following the recommendation from the chief secretary.
Sriram, however, got a major reprieve on Monday when his blood test returned negative for alcohol content. The sample was collected 10 long hours after the accident, raising allegations that the police have been trying to rescue him. Basheer's family had raised fears that the probe would be scuttled because of Sriram's position in the society.
Sriram was arrested on Saturday. He was charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder (Section 304 of Indian Penal Code).
Meanwhile, the State Police Chief Loknath Behra has constituted a special team, headed by Additional Director General of Police Shaik Darvesh Saheb, to investigate the case. Crime Branch SI Jayaprakash has been suspended over lapses during the initial stages of investigation.
Wafa's statement
It was Sriram himself who was at the wheel during the accident, says the statement given by Wafa Firoz, who was also in the car that mowed down Basheer.
Wafa says she sends a goodnight message to all her friends at night. “Usually, Sriram does not respond to the message; however, on the day of the accident, he replied. He enquired whether I had a vehicle available. I replied in the affirmative. Then he asked me to come with my car to Kowdiar,” she says in the statement given to police.
“Near Cafe Coffee Day, Sriram asked whether he could drive the car. I replied that he could take the wheel if he wished,” she said.
According to Wafa, the car was moving at a high speed as the traffic signals were not working. “I told Sriram to reduce the speed several times but he did not listen to me. After the Museum Police Station, I saw a bike moving slowly. As our car was travelling very fast, it hit the bike. Sriram applied the brakes, but there was no effect. Sriram and I jumped out of the car. The airbags opened,” she said.
“Sriram shifted the man who was hit to the road. The police soon arrived. All of them asked me to go home,” she says.
“At that time, Sriram was drunk; there was the odour of alcohol. After reaching home, I returned to the police station by 2am. The accident would not have taken place if I had been driving,” concludes Wafa's statement.
Moved to multispecialty ICU
He was moved to a multispecialty ICU from the surgical ICU in Medical College. The Medical College authorities did not clarify the reason for the same.
It is alleged that Sriram tried to get around the legal procedures and delayed his admission to the Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram by several hours.
Soon after the accident around 12:55am on Saturday, the police took Sriram to the general hospital.
Though the doctors recommended blood test to ascertain if he was under the influence of alcohol, the IAS officer reportedly refused. Though the law authorises the policemen to take the blood samples forcefully in such a scenario, the cops were hesitant.
Sriram, who complained of uneasiness, was referred to the Medical College Hospital. However, he got admitted to the private hospital with the police nod by 4:30am on Saturday. Sriram was admitted to the air-conditioned super deluxe room of the hospital that had a slew of facilities, including a television. The room could also seat around 10 visitors at a time.
Though the hospital staff turned up to take his blood samples as per the routine medical practice, Sriram still refused to comply.
Sriram said that he was exhausted and that the blood samples need be taken only after the breakfast. He informed the doctors that he had chest pain, back pain and vomiting. However, even after the breakfast, Sriram did not agree for the blood test.
Meanwhile, the police fallout in the accident created a huge uproar and the cops reached the private hospital along with the staff of the general hospital by 10am.
Finally, the blood samples were taken by the general hospital staff. Allegations have risen that the blood test was delayed to ensure that there was no alcohol content in blood.
Sriram was not immediately admitted to the Medical College Hospital either. That happened only four hours later.
Sriram, who was discharged from the private hospital, was taken straight to the magistrate's house. The magistrate ordered for Sriram to be presented before the jail superintendent. He was taken to the Poojapura district jail in an ambulance. The ambulance carrying Sriram was stationed outside the jail for nearly 2 hours.
Complaining that his arm was grievously injured, Sriram sought for immediate medical attention. Then the jail superintendent recommended that he be taken to the Medical College Hospital. After he was examined at the casualty, he was moved to the prisoners' cell.
Patient Sriram was online
Civil Service officers reportedly visited Sriram at the private hospital. However, the law stipulates that prior permission has to be taken to visit an accused, who is in remand. This too was violated as cops on duty gave a silent nod to the visitors.
Sriram was also reportedly using his mobile phone and was active on WhatsApp during this time. However, after this information were revealed, authorities found themselves in a spot. Journalists too said that they would protest and Sriram was discharged by 5pm.
