Kerala journalist death: High Court rejects prime accused's bail plea

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The Kerala High Court on Tuesday rejected the bail plea filed by IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman in a journalist accidental death case after reportedly observing that there was no need for custody probe. According to news agency PTI, Venkitaraman was granted bail on August 6 after being in judicial custody for 14 days.

The IAS officer was put behind bars for alleged driving under the influence of alcohol that led to the death of a journalist, Basheer (35). Basheer was killed after a speeding car driven by Sriram allegedly rammed into his bike in Thiruvananthapuram a few days ago.

Also Read: Kerala journalist death: Accused IAS officer granted bail

The IAS officer was returning from a party and was accompanied by a friend when the accident took place. He was said to be in an inebriated state while driving the car. Basheer, the Chief of the Trivandrum bureau of Malayalam daily Siraj, was reportedly rushed to a government hospital, but could not be saved. Sriram, who also sustained injuries in the accident, was also taken to a hospital closer to the spot of the incident.

The police have registered the case under Section 279 (for reckless driving) and 304 (for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code.

With inputs from PTI

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