THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It was a team of professors from Sree Chitra Thirunal College of Engineering, in the capital, that helped police establish that the car allegedly driven by Sriram Venkitaraman which killed journalist KM Basheer was speeding at the time of mishap.According to a
College release, a team led by automobile department head Prakash, associate professors Sabu V R, V K Chitrakumar had assisted the police in preparing the scientific report that helped establish the crucial piece of evidence in the chargesheet filed by the police.
The police in its chargesheet had stated that car was speeding at 100 kmph when it hit Basheer’s bike. Sriram was booked under sections 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder), and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of an offence or giving false information) of the Indian Penal Code. He has also been charged under sections 184(dangerous driving), 185 and 188 of the Motor Vehicles Act. These charges can earn him jail sentence up to ten years. It was after midnight on August 3, 2019, that journalist KM Basheer, bureau chief of Malayalam daily Siraj, was killed in a road accident in the state capital. His motorcycle was knocked down by a car, allegedly driven by the IAS officer.