Kerala journalists force IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman out of minister's presser
Synopsis
Six years after journalist K.M. Basheer was killed in a Thiruvananthapuram road crash, Kerala reporters drew a fresh line: senior IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman, the first accused in the case, cannot share a dais with a state minister. Their walkout threat forced him out of the Agriculture Minister's own press conference — a rare public rebuke of a serving bureaucrat.
Key Takeaways
Kerala journalists forced IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman to leave a press conference at the Assembly media room on Wednesday.
Venkitaraman, Director of the Agriculture Department , had arrived with Minister T.
He is the first accused in the 3 August 2019 road accident that killed journalist K.M.
Basheer of Siraj daily.
The case had triggered controversy over a delay in collecting Venkitaraman's blood sample amid allegations of drunk driving.
The minister's press conference resumed only after Venkitaraman exited the hall.
Kerala journalists on Wednesday forced senior IAS officer and Agriculture Department Director Sriram Venkitaraman to walk out of an official press conference at the Kerala Legislative Assembly media room in Thiruvananthapuram, reigniting the long-running controversy over the 2019 death of journalist K.M. Basheer. The protest erupted moments after Venkitaraman entered the hall alongside Agriculture Minister T. Siddique, with reporters refusing to allow the briefing to proceed in his presence.
How the protest unfolded
Venkitaraman, the first accused in the case relating to Basheer's death, had arrived to assist the minister at the scheduled briefing. Journalists in the hall objected sharply, declaring they would boycott the press conference if he remained on the dais.
As objections mounted, Venkitaraman was forced to leave the room. The minister's interaction with the press could resume only after his exit.
The 2019 case that sparked the anger
On 3 August 2019, K.M. Basheer, a journalist with Siraj daily, was killed in a road accident near the Museum junction in Thiruvananthapuram while returning home from work. The car in which Venkitaraman was travelling allegedly rammed Basheer's motorcycle from behind, throwing him off the bike. He reportedly died before he could be taken to hospital.
Allegations of a shielded probe
The case had triggered widespread outrage in Kerala, with the police facing serious criticism over what activists and Basheer's colleagues described as attempts to shield the accused. The delay in collecting Venkitaraman's blood sample — despite allegations that he was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash — became a flashpoint and remains central to lingering distrust.
Why the protest matters now
The Assembly media room standoff signals that anger over the case has not faded years after Basheer's death. Journalist bodies have consistently objected to Venkitaraman's continued elevation in senior administrative postings, arguing that an accused in a pending criminal case should not represent the government at official briefings.
The Agriculture Department is yet to issue a formal statement on Wednesday's incident. Pressure is likely to mount on the state government to clarify its position on Venkitaraman's public-facing role while the case remains sub judice.
Point of View
And successive governments have chosen administrative convenience over optics. The blood-sample delay in 2019 is the kind of procedural lapse that erodes faith in equal treatment under law — and the fact that reporters had to physically protest in 2025 to keep an accused officer off the dais shows that erosion is far from repaired. Until the trial concludes, every official appearance will reopen the wound.
NationPress
21 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Sriram Venkitaraman and why did journalists protest his presence?
Sriram Venkitaraman is a senior IAS officer currently serving as Director of Kerala's Agriculture Department. Journalists protested because he is the first accused in the case relating to the 2019 death of journalist K.M. Basheer, and they objected to him sharing a dais with the Agriculture Minister at an official press conference.
What happened to K.M. Basheer in 2019?
K.M. Basheer, a journalist with Siraj daily, was killed in a road accident near Museum junction in Thiruvananthapuram on 3 August 2019 while returning home from work. The car in which Venkitaraman was travelling allegedly rammed his motorcycle from behind, and Basheer reportedly died before he could be taken to hospital.
Why was the blood-sample delay controversial?
There were allegations that Venkitaraman was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash, but his blood sample was not collected promptly. The delay fuelled accusations that the police were attempting to shield the accused, becoming a central grievance in the case.
What happened to the press conference after the protest?
Facing the firm stand of the journalists and a boycott threat, Venkitaraman was forced to leave the hall. Agriculture Minister T. Siddique's press conference could resume only after his exit.
