Kerala contests 2019 case verdict

In a surprise move, the Kerala government approached the Kerala High Court, yesterday, challenging an order issued by a lower court.

The order in question was one that dismissed a charge of culpable homicide in a 2019 road accident case against Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Sriram Venkitaraman in Thiruvanthapuram.

The IAS officer was driving a car that hit journalist KM Basheer killing him. The police allegedly found Venkitaraman in an inebriated state after the accident.

However, there was a delay in collecting the blood sample required to test his blood alcohol levels as Venkitaraman checked himself out of the hospital police had taken him to.

Subsequently, a case was registered against Venkitaraman and the passenger in the car at the time, a woman identified as Wafa Firoz, by the Museum Police station in Thiruvananthapuram.

In October, offences under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) were dropped.

The current appeal said that the order was passed by the lower court without considering the materials produced before it. It said that Venkitaraman being a qualified doctor was aware of the consequences of driving while inebriated. There may be knowledge of likely consequences without any intention.