Kerala High Court stays trial of IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman in 2019 rash driving case over special prosecutor refusal

1 October 2026

Justice G Girish of the Kerala High Court stayed further proceedings in the criminal trial against IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman in the 2019 rash driving case.
The order came in a petition by Jaseela C, widow of journalist K M Basheer, challenging the State's refusal to appoint a special public prosecutor.
She had sought the appointment of Advocate Santhosh Kumar; the court called for records of the government decision rejecting it.
The case involves a vehicle hitting Basheer at Museum Junction in Thiruvananthapuram in 2019.
The case is posted for further consideration on 27 October 2026.