IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman was admitted to hospital as he sustained injuries during the accident that killed a journalist in Kerala. Once discharged, he will be moved to a sub-jail.
Thiruvananthapuram: IAS officer and survey director Sriram Venkitaraman was arrested and remanded for 14 days in connection with the death of a Kerala journalist. The IAS officer is presently at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram having sustained minor injuries in the incident. He will be moved to sub-jail once discharged from hospital.
Kerala journalist KM Basheer was killed in a road accident on Saturday (August 3) in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram. The deceased worked as the Thiruvananthapuram unit chief of Siraj newspaper.
Meanwhile, co-passenger Wafa Firoz, who was with the IAS officer during the accident, issued a statement to police stating Venkitaraman was driving the car during the crash. She added that she drove the car till Kawadiyar and that Venkitaraman drove the car from there onward.
However, Venkitaraman had stated that Wafa was behind the wheel when the accident occurred.
Also read: Kerala journalist death case: IAS officer drove car, says co-traveller
Sources, although, state that an auto driver, who is an eyewitness, stated that the IAS officer was in the driver’s seat during the accident. The auto driver added that the IAS officer, who exited the car after the accident was in an inebriated state.
Meanwhile, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that no one responsible for the death of the journalist will be allowed to escape the law.
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