THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It would be a dead-end for the sensational Sriram accident case if the trends on Sunday are any indication. There were unconfirmed reports that the lab which tested the blood samples of Sriram Venkataraman unofficially communicated to the police that there was no alcohol presence beyond the permissible limit in his blood. However, the police refuse to acknowledge it saying the lab would officially hand over the report to the police on Monday only.
Blood test after nine-hour delay a police lapse
There were also reports that Sriram might have consumed tablets to erase the trace of the alcohol from his blood. The police have already committed a lapse in the case by delaying the blood sample collection by almost nine hours, despite eyewitnesses testifying that the IAS officer was not very much sozzled during the time of the accident. The police have also not examined the accused using breathalyser to know if he was in an inebriated condition.
Bail petition to be considered today
Sriram filed a bail petition to Chief Judicial First Class Magistrate on Sunday. The magistrate will consider the application on Monday. If the lab result for the blood test is negative, the non-bailable sections invoked by the police after pressure from the media and the public will not stand.
Government yet to suspend Sriram
Even as Sriram was arrested, the state government has also not taken any disciplinary action against him. Sriram was recently inducted into state service as a survey director after completing Full Bright scholarship at Harvard University. As per service rules, the government can take action against him within 48 hours after proving that he was guilty in a crime
No special privilege
Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan said that Sriram would not be given any special privilege and he would be treated as a common man. “We will not give any special privilege to Sriram and will take steps to shift him to Medical College Hospital,” he told media persons.
‘SIT should probe’
The management of Siraj has urged the government to constitute a SIT to probe the incident. Saifudeen Haji, director of Siraj daily, said they did not trust the present investigation team.