K.M. Basheer death: Eyewitness turns hostile, says he cannot identify IAS officer
Thiruvananthapuram: The sixth prosecution witness in the case relating to the death of journalist K.M. Basheer turned hostile during trial proceedings on Tuesday (August 4, 2026), dealing a blow to the prosecution's case against IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman.
The witness, auto-rickshaw driver Shafeeq, told the court that he did not know who was driving the car that hit Basheer, and that he could not identify the accused standing in the dock. He also said the driver at the time had a beard and that the person in the dock only resembled him. Shafeeq stated that he saw a man and a woman standing at the accident spot.
According to Shafeeq, the accident occurred because the car was being driven at high speed. However, he added that the driver did not appear to be under the influence of alcohol based on his behaviour.
The testimony differed from both his statement to the police and his confidential statement before the magistrate during the investigation. Shafeeq claimed that he had given his original statement based on what the police had told him then.
In a significant revelation, the auto-rickshaw driver told the court that he used to frequently visit the police station to sign a register as he operated his vehicle at night in 2019, and thus had developed familiarity with the police. It was under such circumstances, he said, that the police made him a witness in the case.
The development comes a day after another eyewitness, Manikuttan, also an auto-rickshaw driver, testified that Venkitaraman had driven the car at an excessive speed and was under the influence of alcohol when the accident took place. Manikuttan stated that while driving his auto-rickshaw around 1 a.m. near Keltron Junction at Vellayambalam, he noticed the car taking the Vellayambalam roundabout at high speed with a loud noise. He added that the car then overtook his vehicle and sped away at a speed of over 100 kmph. He later saw the vehicle involved in an accident near the Public Office complex and identified Venkitaraman as the person behind the wheel.
K.M. Basheer, a journalist with a local daily, died in the accident in 2019. Venkitaraman, who was then serving as a sub-collector, was arrested and later released on bail. The trial is being held before a special court in Thiruvananthapuram. The prosecution is expected to examine more witnesses in the coming days.
The conflicting testimonies of the two eyewitnesses are likely to be a key point of contention in the trial. While Manikuttan's earlier statement supported the prosecution's case, Shafeeq's reversal has raised questions about the reliability of eyewitness accounts. The court will continue to hear the matter.
