This story is from August 23, 2019

Breakthrough in car crash case: Sriram’s fingerprint found on seatbelt

Breakthrough in car crash case: Sriram’s fingerprint found on seatbelt
Sriram Venkitaraman
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major breakthrough in the probe into the accident that claimed the life of journalist K M Basheer, the city fingerprint bureau officials have reportedly detected IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman’s fingerprints from the driver’s side of the car that was involved in the accident. The experts are also learned to have submitted a report in this regard before the crime branch probe team.
According to sources, it was the print sample collected from the safety belt clip of the driver’s seat that matched with Venkitarman’s fingerprints.
The probe team would now have to decide whether this is a strong evidence to prove the case against Venkitaraman. Sources said that the fingerprint experts could not retrieve any useful prints from the steering wheel or door on the driver’s side. It has to be recalled that there was a delay of over eight hours for the police to summon fingerprint experts to examine the car. The police had also removed the car from the accident spot, violating procedures and took it to the Museum police station before fingerprint experts arrived. Careless handling during that time could have resulted in losing of crucial evidence.
It was on August 3 around 1 am, the accident that claimed the life of K M Basheer, who was the bureau chief of Siraj news daily, occurred. Though eye witnesses claimed that Venkitaraman was in an inebriated condition when the accident occurred, the police committed serious lapses while subjecting him for alcohol test, which even led to the suspension of the sub inspector of Museum police station, who attended the case.
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