Thiruvananthapuram: Police team investigating the case of the death of journalist K.M. Basheer - after being hit by a rash driven car in which IAS officer Sriram Venkataraman travelled- produced material evidence in connection with the case, on Thursday.
Thiruvananthapuram First Class Judicial Magistrate Court is hearing the case. The material evidence produced by the team included visuals from the surveillance cameras at the time of the incident. However, the police team probing the case informed the Court that it is not in possession of a copy of the CCTV visuals demanded by the accused Sriram Venkatraman.
This was clarified by the police team when the plea by Sriram Venkataraman, the first accused in the ‘accidental’ death of K.M. Basheer, demanding the evidence including the CCTV footage at the time of the accident, was earlier considered by the Court.
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The probe team informed in the Court that it had already submitted a DVD comprising the CCTV footage along with the charge sheet. Even the initial trial proceedings in the case have not been done as both the accused in the case have not appeared before the Court together so far. The Court had issued a final notice demanding the accused persons to appear before it following which Sriram Venkataraman appeared in person.
When the Court was about to hand over the case for further trial proceedings, Sriram Venkataraman requested the Court and sought possession of the CCTV footage from surveillance cameras at the time of the incident.
Though the prosecution agreed to give the material evidence collected, the Court denied the same.
The Court then directed the prosecution to clarify the legal possibilities of giving the material evidence in the case to the accused person. The case would be considered again on December 15.
K.M. Basheer had died on August 3, 2019, after being hit by a rash driven the car in which Sriram Venkataraman, a 2013 batch IAS officer and his friend Wafa were travelling.
The accused have been booked and charged for culpable homicide, destroying evidence, violation of motor vehicle act and damaging public property.
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