THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid the hue and cry over the Covid scare in the state, the state government has reportedly reinstated IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman into the service. Reportedly, he has been instated as the joint secretary in the Department of Health and Social Justice, although no formal order was issued by the state to this effect.
The 2013 batch officer had come under a cloud after he was implicated by the police in the controversial drunken driving accident that caused the death of journalist K M Basheer in Thiruvananthapuram in August 2019.
He was then placed under suspension by the state government. Venkitaraman had earlier requested the government to reinstate him in service as per the provisions of the All India Service (Discipline and Appeal) Rules 1996. In January a committee headed by chief secretary Tom Jose has decided to reinstate him into service. However, it was put on hold after criticism from various corners.
Though he was charged for drunken driving, the IAS officer reportedly rejected the police finding that he was drunk and was at the wheel of the car during the time of the collision.