Sriram Venkitaraman's suspension to be lifted, to become deputy health secretary

Suspended IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman who was involved in the death of journalist K M Basheer, would soon be reinstated in office as deputy secretary in the Health Department in charge of COVID-19 operations.

It was already rumoured that the young officer would be taken back after his extended suspension period expires on March 31. His earlier than anticipated call back is said to be prompted by the COVID-19 scare.

There could not have been a more conducive moment to get him back in office without much hassle. “A bureaucrat with a health background is always going to be an asset. Also, this is a time when the government is asking all officials who are on leave to report back. We need to beef up our resources,” a top bureaucrat said.

It is also said the government had run out of valid reasons to keep him out of service. He had already served an extended suspension, his backers in the bureaucracy say. Sriram had been in suspension for nearly nine months.

A Departmental enquiry headed by Sanjay Garg IAS, who is now resident commissioner, Kerala House, Delhi, had concluded that it was difficult to prove the charges against Sriram. The charge against the young IAS officer was that after a late night party on August 3, 2019, and under the influence of alcohol, he drove his female friend's car through the capital's deserted main road in high speed and rammed into Basheer who was going back home in his two-wheeler, dragging him nearly 25 metres. Basheer died on the spot.

The Crime Branch, in its chargesheet, had said Sriram was driving at a speed of over 100 km per hour. It was also said he had failed to give his blood samples when he was taken for medical examination. The Crime Branch, after examining over 100 witnesses, had said that Sriram was on the wheel. But Sriram had consistently maintained that he was not driving. His companion Wafa, the owner of the vehicle and who was with him when the accident happened, too had said Sriram was on the wheel.

There were strong charges that the police, under instructions from the highest circles of the bureaucracy, had inordinately delayed conducting a medical test on Sriram. It is widely believed that this had helped the Garg committee to let him off the hook.

On January 31, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had rejected the recommendation of Chief Secretary Tom Jose, based on Garg's report, to reinstate him. At that point, Sriram had completed six months in suspension. Nonetheless, Pinarayi extended Sriram's suspension by another three months.

The journalists' union, Kerala Union of Working Journalists, was consulted before taking steps to recall Sriram. The KUWJ leaders Onmanorama talked to said they were indeed consulted but the Union had shot off a missive to the Chief Minister asking him not to take back Sriram.