Thiruvanthapuram: IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman, the prime accused in an accident that caused the death of journalist KM Basheer in 2019, has approached the court with a discharge petition.
Sriram argued that there is no evidence that he was drunk-driving and that only a civil case has legal standing.
Under the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, the discharge petition is the remedy that is granted to the person who has been maliciously charged. It is usually filed in warrant cases for serious crimes that are punishable with death or imprisonment more than 2 years.
The discharge petition of the second accused in the case Wafa Firoz will be considered by the Principal District and Sessions Court-I here on Monday. The Additional District Sessions Judge K Sanilkumar will pronounce the verdict.
KM Basheer was run over by a car allegedly driven by Sriram at high speed in an inebriated state, near Museum Junction in Thiruvananthapuram in 2019.
The accident and the botched probe that followed had resulted in a huge controversy. He was placed under suspension by the State government then.
Sriram, a doctor, allowed police to collect his blood sample for examination nine hours after the accident and after getting himself admitted to a private hospital here. His arrest was recorded nearly 17 hours later.
The duo, Sriram and Wafa, a passenger in the car, were booked under sections 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of an offence or giving false information) of the Indian Penal Code. They have also been charged under sections 184 (dangerous driving), 185, 188 of the Motor Vehicles Act.
The charge sheet, filed before the Judicial First Class Magistrate court, has listed 100 witnesses and submitted 75 materials of evidence.
Sriram is currently the General Manager of Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd.
