Kochi, August 18
The Kerala High Court on Tuesday stayed the trial in the case concerning the death of journalist K.M. Basheer for one month, giving the State government time to complete the appointment of a special public prosecutor.
The court issued the direction after noting that the formal appointment order had not been submitted. The government had earlier decided to appoint a special public prosecutor to conduct the trial, and the Home Department had selected advocate Santhosh for the post.
However, as the appointment had not been formally notified, the court directed the trial proceedings to remain suspended for a month. The case is expected to resume once the government produces the appointment order.
Basheer, then Thiruvananthapuram bureau chief of the Malayalam daily Siraj, was killed after being struck by a car near Museum Junction in Thiruvananthapuram at around 1 a.m. on August 3, 2019.
IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman allegedly drove the car involved in the accident. The vehicle was registered in the name of Thiruvananthapuram resident Wafa Firoz, who was reportedly travelling with him when the incident occurred.
The case sparked controversy after allegations emerged that attempts had initially been made to identify Wafa as the driver. Police reportedly claimed that she was behind the wheel, but eyewitness accounts and subsequent interventions by journalists indicated that Venkitaraman had been driving.
Venkitaraman, the sole accused facing trial, has been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, rash and negligent driving, driving under the influence of alcohol and destruction of evidence.
The case has remained in the public spotlight for seven years, with questions repeatedly raised over the initial police response and the handling of evidence immediately after the accident.
The latest High Court direction is intended to facilitate the appointment of the special prosecutor without further procedural complications. The trial will remain in abeyance until the prescribed one-month period expires or the appointment process is completed.
