THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The now-suspended IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman was in an inebriated state and drove the car that killed Siraj journalist KM Basheer, one of the witnesses has told investigators.
The statement of Dhanasumod, who is a member of Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala’s staff, was recorded by the police’s special team on Friday.
Police sources said Dhanasumod was one of the first respondents who had reached the accident site. He gave a statement that Sriram was drunk and he was the one who drove the car, the sources added.
Dhanasumod’s stat
ement holds weight since he was the first person who reached the accident spot, they said.
The remaining witnesses also had concurred with his version that the car was driven by the officer and that he was in a drunken state. Meanwhile, the probe is on to retrieve the visuals of Sriram’s journey from the police cameras. Though several cameras having speed guns have been installed in the Kowdiar-Museum stretch, police claim they have not been able to get the images and visuals with the number plate visible.
“Some of the cameras are not working. In the footage from those that are working, the number plate is not clear. We have asked the authorities concerned to retrieve the visuals from cameras that are in working condition as early as possible,” said a source.
Reports of the accident being staged have been taken with a pinch of salt. But the team will probe the allegation. “So far, we have not seen anything that suggests that Basheer’s motorcycle was intentionally rammed with the car. Yet, we will check this allegation as well,” a senior officer said.