THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Journalist K M Basheer’s first death anniversary was yesterday (August 4). He died in a freak accident when he was mowed down by the car driven by Sreeram Venkitaraman IAS . Even after one year, the law has not been able to catch up with the accused. Now there are reports that efforts are going on to sabotage the case.

Following the Covid outbreak, the first accused Sreeram was taken back in service thought he had been under suspension for some time. He is now the joint secretary of the health department. First, he was in charge of Covid tests in labs but now he now oversees the functioning of Covid first-line treatment centres.

Though the chargesheet in the accident case was filed months ago, the trial has not started till date. There are speculations that he would be able to influence doctors during the trial as he is holding the post of joint secretary now. In that case, the trial can go in favour of Sreeram as the statements of health workers will be decisive in the case.

There are reports from the Medical College Neuro department that the car was in high speed and the injuries on Sreeram’s body were the ones that happen on a person who is on the driver’s seat.

Moreover, nurses and doctors in the private hospital where he was treated had told the police that Sreeram hadn’t allowed them to take his blood to test it for any presence of alcohol.

These are important evidence in the case but from the beginning Sreeram and second accused Wafa Firoz have been apparently making attempts to delay the trial of the case. Both have not appeared in the court even after getting summons two times.

K M Basheer, the Thiruvananthapuram unit chief of Siraj daily died early morning on August 3, 2019 when the car in which Sreeram and Wafa were travelling rammed him who was on his parked bike on Museum road.

Though witnesses of the accident stuck to their statement that Sreeram was driving the car in inebriated condition, he told the police that Wafa was driving the car, which she denied later.

The IAS officer turned out to be a very shrewd bureaucrat as he could evade arrest using loopholes in legal system and his quick-wittedness.