Thiruvananthapuram: The police appear to have colluded with Kerala IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman, whose speeding car mowed down a journalist in the early hours of Saturday, in an attempt to derail investigation. However, the police were forced to arrest Sriram under non-bailable offence after media exposed police lapses and subsequent intervention from the chief minister.
Journalist K M Bashir was killed after the car which Venkitaraman drove rammed his bike near the Museum Junction here in the intervening night of Friday and Saturday.
Sriram, who is undergoing treatment at a private hospital, has been remanded to a 14-day judicial custody.
Police had collected Sriram's blood samples 10 hours after the accident. Experts said the delay could hamper securing vital evidence which may affect the case prospects in the court.
The police laxity early in the case involving the bureaucrat was evident as he was not taken into custody even as a man was killed after the car driven by him hit him. They even let go Sriram's woman companion, Wafa, despite his claim that she drove it. She was sent home in a taxi and was summoned after five hours as the initial action was slammed in the media.
Curiously, the police never used the breathalyser at hand on either Sriram or Wafa even as onlookers claimed they were drunk. Though Sriram was taken to the general hospital for his injuries, the cops did not ask for his blood sample in the early hours. Moreover, blood samples were taken only after 10 hours.
Further an FIR was registered for culpable homicide not amounting to murder without naming the driver, in this case an IAS officer. The non-bailable arrest warrant was issued only by Saturday evening.
Proving police laxity, the car involved in the fatal collision was removed from the scene before forensic expert and police photographer’s visit.
Sources say CCTV images were not accessed initially to ascertain if the car was speeding.
Sriram's omissions
A few omissions likely made by the bureaucrat before his arrest became unavoidable owing to evidence and statements that went against him are drunk driving and bid to sabotage the case by lying even as when Wafa clearly stated to the police that he was driving. Besides, Sriram introduced himself as just a doctor as cops accosted him and refused to give blood sample at the hospital in an attempt to avoid providing scientific evidence.
Moreover, Sriram who had requested the doctor for referring him to the Medical College Hospital, chose to go to a private hospital when he was allowed discharge.
Campaigner for safe driving
Ironically, Sriram who has been remanded him in judicial custody in this sensational accident case, was in the forefront of promoting safe driving.
"Drivers have to be more disciplined than pedestrians. Everything depends on their behaviour on the road," Sriram noted in an article on road safety two years ago. He was reportedly fond of vehicles and travel, and took special interest in traffic awareness programmes.
There were several instances of police action for over-speeding and riding without helmet during student years, Sriram had said once. He just smiled to the query if he repeated them after becoming a civil servant.
Hero of Munnar
He came into media limelight during his stint as the Devikulam sub-collector after taking charge on July 22, 2016. The CPM came out against him when he started a high-pitched drive against Munnar land grab and even held a 20-day protest against the bureaucrat's actions. There was more controversy as a crucifix installed on encroached land was removed. He was flayed by CM Pinarayi Vijayan at an all-party meeting called on Munnar issue.
Sriram was removed from the position as High Court verdict on the Lovedale land issue went against the CPM. He then became the Director for Employment and Training. Soon, he went on leave to take a Master’s degree in Public Health from Harvard. He had received a Fulbright Nehru Master's Fellowship to study at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, in US.
He was reinstated as director of Survey and Land Records, and about to take charge when a car reportedly driven him hit a motorbike and killed the rider, a journalist, yesterday.
