In an important development for the Kerala bureaucracy, the High Court has stayed proceedings in the criminal trial against IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman (IAS:2013:KL) in the 2019 rash driving case.
The IAS officer is facing serious allegations of killing a journalist by recklessly driving his car under the influence of alcohol. Journalist KM Basheer was killed in the accident caused by the officer’s rash driving.
After the gap of seven years of Basheer’s death, the trial in the case began on August 1 this year.
Basheer’s widow, Jaseela had earlier filed a petition before the High Court seeking the appointment of a Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) to represent the prosecution. The state govt had initially assured the court that it would appoint a SPP but later refused.
It was after the state govt’s refusal to appoint a Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) to conduct the trial, Basheer’s widow, Jaseela C, moved a petition challenging the govt’s decision, contending that the government had effectively reversed the stance it had earlier taken before the High Court.
Justice G Girish briefly heard the plea on Thursday and asked the state govt to file reply on why it refused to appoint an SPP to conduct the trial.
On the other hand, A. Saifudeen Haji, director of the Siraj daily, alleged on Friday that Kerala CM V D Satheesan and Chief Secretary Bishwanath Sinha were responsible for the govt’s decision not to appoint a Special Public Prosecutor to take forward the trial in the Basheer death case.
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