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A parent in Kerala’s Kozhikode refused to let his daughter receive a prize from IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman, calling him a “murderer” during a children’s swimming event on Sunday, August 30.
The incident took place at a sports complex in Cherootty Nagar, where Sriram Venkitaraman, who currently serves as Director of the Department of Agricultural Development and Farmers’ Welfare, had been invited to distribute prizes to the winners.
A video aired by Malayalam news channels showed organisers asking the IAS officer to hand over an award to one of the children. The child’s father refused to accept it on her behalf, repeatedly shouting, “A murderer should not give a prize to my daughter.” Sriram subsequently stepped away, after which the Sub-Collector distributed the awards.
IAS officer Sriram is an accused in the 2019 death of journalist KM Basheer. The incident has continued to draw opposition from journalists in Kerala.
In June, journalists protested Sriram’s presence at a press conference convened by Agriculture Minister T Siddique. They objected to attending a press conference alongside the officer accused in the death of their former colleague. Following their protest, Sriram left the media room and the press conference resumed.
Basheer, 35, who was the Thiruvananthapuram bureau chief of Malayalam daily Siraj, was killed after being struck by a car in the early hours of August 3, 2019. The incident was initially reported as a road accident. Investigators later alleged that Sriram, who was driving a car belonging to a female friend, was under the influence of alcohol when he rammed into Basheer’s motorcycle.
Sriram was charged under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, along with charges related to negligent and dangerous driving under the Motor Vehicles Act.
The case has been under trial for nearly seven years. The next hearings is scheduled from August 1 to September 10.