IAS officer arrested after drunk driving spree kills journalist
In a tragic incident, a senior journalist was killed in a road accident on Saturday morning. KM Basheer (35) died on the spot as an IAS officer's car rammed into his bike in Thiruvananthapuram. Initially, there were conflicting statements as to whether or not the IAS officer, Sriram Venkitaraman, was driving the vehicle. He has now been arrested. Here are more details.
Journalist was driving home when overspeeding car hit
Reportedly, Basheer was returning home at 1 am on Saturday. CCTV footage from the Public Office complex, which is near the accident site, revealed that an overspeeding car collided with Basheer's bike, dragging him and the bike along the road, before crushing him against the complex wall. An NRI businesswoman named Waha Firoze, who owns the car, was inside the car along with Venkitaraman.
Basheer was rushed to a hospital, but couldn't be saved
Since the accident occurred pretty close to the Museum police station, the police managed to reach the spot on time and rushed Basheer to the nearby Government Medical College Hospital, The Hindu reported. However, he could not be saved.
Eye witnesses claimed IAS was driving; passengers claimed otherwise
Both Venkitaraman (the Survey and Land Records Director) and Firoze told the police that the latter was driving the car at the time of the incident. However, two auto-rickshaw drivers, Shafeeq and Manikuttan, told reporters that they witnessed the IAS officer stepping out of the vehicle from the driver's side and was visibly drunk. Local police also smelled alcohol on Venkitaraman, Deccan Herald reported.
No immediate medical tests; Firoze sent home from crime scene
Reportedly, the police failed to conduct medical tests on the passengers immediately after the accident. Venkitaraman refused to undergo tests while Firoze was sent home in a taxi. The bureaucrat was referred to the Government Medical College Hospital, but he chose a private hospital instead.
Venkitaraman booked for rash driving, culpable homicide
Eventually, the police investigation revealed that Venkitaraman, in fact, was in the driver's seat and was arrested. He has been booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 279 (Rash driving or riding on a public way) and 304 (Culpable homicide not amounting to murder). The Thiruvananthapuram police are also facing backlash for not conducting Venkitaraman's blood test and letting Firoze leave.
Basheer survived by wife, two daughters
Basheer was the bureau chief of the Malayalam newspaper 'Siraj'. His body will be brought to the Thiruvananthapuram Press Club for the public to pay their respects and then taken to his hometown in Thirur, Malappuram. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.
