THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the road accident involving IAS officer Sriram Venkataraman will include the doctor at the General Hospital who treated the officer immediately after the accident among witnesses. The doctor had gone on record saying that Sriram smelt of alcohol, but the officer refused to undergo a blood test then.
The SIT will also record the statements of Sriram and his friend Wafa Firoze who was in the car with him at the time of the accident which killed Siraj daily’s reporter, KM Basheer. The SIT had earlier asked the officers at the Museum police station, including suspended inspector Jayaprakash, to report for recording their statements.
The doctor had told media persons that the police did not press for a blood test to confirm whether Sriram was in an inebriated state. The blood sample which was taken nine hours after the accident tested negative for alcohol.
Additional DGP (Law and Order) Sheikh Darvesh Sahib is heading the SIT announced by the government in the wake of mounting criticism against the police actions to help Sriram. The High Court had also pulled up the police for not taking Sriram’s blood sample in time.
On Wednesday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the SIT would also investigate the alleged attempts by the police to help Sriram. All accused would face strict action, he added.