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A press conference convened by newly appointed Agriculture Minister T Siddique at the media room of the Kerala Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, June 3, was disrupted after journalists objected to the presence of Agriculture Director Sriram Venkitaraman IAS, an accused in the 2019 death of journalist KM Basheer.
The protest erupted when Sriram Venkitaraman arrived at the press conference while the minister was addressing the media. Journalists strongly opposed his participation, stating that they could not attend a press conference alongside the person accused of causing the death of their former colleague.
Reporters demanded that the press conference continue only if Sriram was removed from the venue. However, Minister Siddique initially rejected the demand twice, saying the matter could be discussed later. Journalists remained firm in their stand, insisting that the accused in Basheer's death could not be seated alongside the minister during an official media interaction.
As the protest intensified, journalists reiterated that "the killer of journalist KM Basheer cannot be allowed to sit alongside the minister at a press conference." Following the objections, Sriram Venkitaraman left the media room, and the press conference resumed thereafter.
The Kerala Union of Working Journalists has issued a statement saying the government should refrain from appointing or giving prominence to individuals facing criminal charges, including officials, to key positions. “Minister T Siddique should not have appeared at a press conference alongside Sriram Venkitaraman, who is accused of running over and killing journalist KM Basheer with his vehicle and who, according to the union, attempted to evade the case through deceptive actions and fabricated claims,” the statement said.
The statement also appreciated journalists in the state capital who strongly protested the minister's appearance with Venkitaraman.
This is not the first time journalists have boycotted an official event attended by Sriram. During the previous LDF government's tenure, a press conference called by the then Agriculture Minister with Sriram Venkitaraman was similarly opposed by media personnel. On that occasion, Sriram recused himself from the briefing following the protest.
KM Basheer, the 35-year-old Thiruvananthapuram Bureau Chief of Malayalam daily Siraj, was killed after being struck by a car near Museum Junction in the early hours of August 3, 2019. The incident was initially reported as a road accident. Investigators alleged that Sriram, who was driving a car belonging to a female friend while under the influence of alcohol, rammed into Basheer's motorcycle near the Public Office Junction adjacent to the Museum Police Station.
Basheer was rushed to a government hospital but later succumbed to his injuries.
Sriram was subsequently charged under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, along with charges related to negligent and dangerous driving under the Motor Vehicles Act.
In the legal proceedings that followed, Sriram was granted discharge by the Thiruvananthapuram Additional District and Sessions Court-IV. However, the Kerala High Court set aside the order, and a subsequent challenge was dismissed by the Supreme Court, allowing the trial to proceed.
The case has remained under trial for nearly seven years. The next phase of hearings is scheduled between August 1 and September 10, 2026, during which nearly 100 witnesses are expected to be examined.
Sriram was briefly suspended from service in 2020 before being reinstated. He later served in the Health Department and as District Collector of Alappuzha. He currently serves as the Director of Agriculture.
This article was written by a student interning with TNM
