THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The investigating team is of the conclusion that the doctors of the medical college hospital are trying to save IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman, accused of fatally knocking down journo K M Basheer. The statement of the doctors of private hospital who examined Sriram on the day the accident happened turned to be crucial. Sriram who was examined at the General Hospital soon after the accident was referred to medical college hospital. Instead of going there, he went straight to KIMS Hospital in the capital city.

The investigating team probing the case recorded the statement of the main doctor and his assistant who were on duty at the casualty. They told the team that Sriram did not have any serious injuries at the time of admission. He was given first aid at the casualty. The doctors told the police that he had some minor injuries on his hands and at the back of his body. Meantime, the court intervened and got him discharged from KIMS following allegations that he is simply admitted in a super deluxe pay ward and against granting undue privileges. The government had to intervene after opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, Kerala Journalists Union district committee and the management of Siraj daily came to the fore with protests demanding an end to his stay in the private hospital. Following that, a notice was given to the hospital and he was discharged and taken straight to the magistrate’s house in an ambulance. He was brought out from the hospital covering his face with a mask and body fully covered. The magistrate ordered to shift him to the jail, but was taken to the medical college for treatment.

After admitting at the medical college, Sriram became a patient with serious illnesses. Instead of admitting him at the police cell, he was moved to the ICU of multi-specialty trauma care. All this drama was enacted by his teachers and colleagues of the hospital. The doctors released a statement that he has retrograde amnesia. Meantime, the investigating team is examining how Sriram discharged from private hospital with minor injuries became a serious patient when admitted to the medical college hospital. The police has demanded the complete details of his treatment in both hospitals. All these will be examined by a team of expert doctors, the police said.