The Kerala authorities on Wednesday moved the excessive courtroom towards a decrease courtroom order dropping culpable murder cost towards IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman and his good friend Wafa Firoze in reference to the alleged drunk driving case associated to the demise of journalist Ok M Basheer in 2019.
In October this yr, the periods courtroom in Thiruvananthapuram had dropped culpable murder costs towards each however maintained that different costs underneath Sections 304 A (inflicting demise by negligence) and 279 (rash driving ) of the Indian Penal Code and 184 of the Motor Autos Act (reckless driving) will keep.
The periods courtroom had agreed to his rivalry that “there was no proof to show that he was drunk on the time of the accident on August 3, 2019, that claimed the life a younger journalist”. He’s the primary accused within the case and his girl fellow traveller is the second accused.
Within the plea earlier than HC, the federal government claimed that Venkitaraman delayed his therapy and blood verify when he was rushed to the final hospital within the state capital quickly after the accident. The docs later referred him to the medical faculty hospital however declined the recommendation of docs and police and received himself admitted to a personal hospital. It additionally mentioned “many witnesses to the accident gave statements that he was inebriated on the time of the mishap however intentionally delayed his medical take a look at”. His blood pattern was reportedly taken 10 hours after the accident.
“Statements of witnesses in unequivocal phrases said that the primary accused was in an inebriated state. He, being a certified physician and civil servant, was conscious of penalties. Consciousness on the a part of the particular person involved of the implications of his act delayed additional exams. Therefore the courtroom must have proceeded with the path of the accused underneath Part 304 of the IPC,” the federal government contended in its plea.
In August this yr, the deceased’s brother Ok B Abdurehman had moved the HC alleging a giant cover-up and had sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Quickly after the incident the federal government had suspended Venkitaraman from service and brought him again to service a yr later. He’s presently the final supervisor of the state civil provides company. A few months again there was a transfer to nominate him because the collector of Alapuzha however the authorities withdrew the order after many Muslim outfits hit the streets.
Venkitaraman, second rank holder within the civil service examination in 2013, was as soon as a hero of the state after he demolished quite a lot of encroachments in hill station Munnar and locked horns with many influential folks and politicians, however his picture suffered a beating after the accident. Journalists alleged that the highly effective bureaucratic foyer performed its function nicely in shielding him and weakening the case.