Kerala HC stays trial against IAS officer Venkitaraman in journo Basheer death case

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Thursday stayed further proceedings in the trial against senior IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman in the 2019 road accident death of journalist K.M. Basheer.

Justice G. Girish passed the order on a plea filed by Basheer’s widow, Jaseela, challenging the state government’s decision not to appoint a Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) to conduct the trial.

The High Court also called for the records relating to the government decision.

The case will be considered again on October 27.

The prosecutor has been directed to obtain instructions from the government in the meantime.

Basheer was killed in August 2019 when a car allegedly driven by Venkitaraman at high speed hit the motorcycle he was riding near Museum Junction in Thiruvananthapuram.

Venkitaraman is facing trial on charges including rash and negligent driving, causing death by negligence, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The trial began on August 1 this year, nearly seven years after Basheer’s death. Jaseela had earlier approached the High Court seeking the appointment of an SPP.

She had also challenged the transfer of the trial to another court, but later confined her plea to the appointment of the SPP.

In August, the High Court recorded the State’s submission that the government had, in principle, decided to appoint advocate A. Santosh Kumar as the SPP.

The court then deferred the trial for one month to enable the government to issue the formal appointment order.

The government, however, later rejected the request for appointment of the SPP through an order issued on September 17.

Jaseela has now challenged this decision.

She alleged that the government had changed its position after informing the High Court that it had decided to appoint Santosh Kumar.

“The Government, it seems, has made a U-turn by rejecting the prayer for appointment of the Special Prosecutor,” her plea stated, demanding quashing of the government order.

She has also sought a direction to the Additional Chief Secretary, Home, to appoint Santosh Kumar as the SPP.

The High Court had earlier confirmed the transfer of the trial after Jaseela decided not to pursue that part of her plea.

The trial is being held before the Additional Sessions Court-IV in Thiruvananthapuram.

The latest stay means that further proceedings in the trial will remain on hold until the High Court considers the matter again.

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