Thiruvananthapuram: Attempts are afoot behind the curtains to sabotage the case against IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman for allegedly causing the death of journalist KM Basheer while driving a car under the influence of alcohol.
Sriram, who is the Joint Secretary in the Health Department, is alleged to be using high-level contacts to influence people, including doctors, during the trial.
The reports and statements of those working in the health sector are crucial in the case.
The police said Basheer died after the car Sriram was driving under the influence of alcohol and at high speed rammed into the journalist’s motorbike on the night of August 3, 2019. Basheer died on the spot.
The car belonged to a friend of Sriram named Wafa. She was also in the vehicle at the time of the incident.
Sriram was suspended on August 5, 2019. He was, however, reinstated in March as the joint secretary in the Health Department. Sriram was initially made responsible for COVID testing in labs. He is currently in charge of the first-line treatment centres for COVID.
The government has said that since Sriram is a doctor, it appointed him in the Health Department to help with measures to deal with COVID.
According to the report of the Thiruvananthapuram medical college’s neurology department, Sriram was driving at high speed and the injuries he sustained were because he was in the driving seat.
A nurse at a private hospital also told the police that Sriram had refused to give blood samples for tests after the incident. In addition to this, there are the statements of those who witnessed the accident.
The Crime Branch, which investigated the case, said in its charge sheet that Sriram was driving at a speed of over 100 km per hour.
It said that it has established after examining over 100 witnesses that Sriram was at the wheel when the accident happened. But Sriram has maintained that he was not driving. Wafa, however, has said that the vehicle was driven by the IAS officer.
Basheer's relatives and friends are worried that Sriram will try to sabotage the case by using his influence while occupying a high position in the Health Department.
It’s been a year since Basheer was killed, but the trial in the case has not even started. Sriram is the first accused in the case and Wafa is the second accused.
It is alleged that the two are prolonging the case by being non-cooperative. The two did not appear in court despite being summoned twice. Even though the court is close to the secretariat where Sriram works, he did not respond to the summons citing technical reasons.
The case can be referred by the Magistrate Court 3 to the Principal Sessions Court for trial proceedings only after the accused appear in court and the charge sheet is read to them.
There have been attempts to divert the case from the day of Basheer’s death.
The fact that Sriram’s blood test had not been done was revealed only nine hours after the accident. He was later examined, but there was no trace of alcohol in his blood.
Initially, the FIR stated that it was not known who was driving the vehicle when the accident took place. A non-bailable section was imposed later only due to media reports.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed to investigate the case filed the charge sheet in a court on February 1. On March 20, the government ordered Sriram to return to service.
Sriram and Wafa were not present when the court heard the case on July 21. The court has ordered the accused to appear before it in person on September 16.