Team News Riveting
Kochi, November 3
Sriram Venkitaraman, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) official and the prime accused in the death of journalist KM Basheer, was removed from the key post following pressure from the opposition.
Interestingly, the Kerala government had posted the 2013-batch IAS official in a key position at Public Relations Department (PRD), the department that deals with the media and journalists. The IAS official was reported to be heavily drunk when he crushed journalist KM Basheer to death.
Sriram had been in suspension for many months following the accident in which Basheer was killed in August of 2019. He and a woman named Wafa Firoz were in the car that hit Basheer’s bike in the early hours of August 3, on the road outside the Museum in Thiruvananthapuram. The IAS official was accused of drunken driving and named the first accused in the case while Wafa was named the second accused.
Sriram, who is also a medical doctor, was however taken back in service in March this year, to work in the Health Department to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic that had just broken out.
There were voices of protest raised against his appointment both in the health department and later in the PRD. Leader of opposition Ramesh Chennitha spoke against the decision to appoint him in PRD, accusing the government of ‘protecting all those who have done wrong’.
The officer, taking advantage of his high profile profession, had been mocking even at the judiciary system; ignoring the court notices and failing to appear thrice.
The Kerala government led by Pinarayi Vijayan had come under the scanner in dealing with the journalist’s death. Six months after Basheer’s death, the police submitted the chargesheet. However, the trial has not commenced yet even as a year has passed.
Following pressure from the opposition, the IAS officer was yesterday removed from the key post of public relations department.
