Kerala Police are reportedly weighing whether they should bring the destruction of evidence charges in the case relating to the death of journalist K.M. Basheer in a drunk driving-related accident last Saturday.
The police investigation has struck a new trajectory after the law enforcement faced strong criticism that local officers had conspired to help the accused in the case, IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman, to dodge the mandatory blood test for determining drunkenness.
Investigators are likely to subpoena Mr. Venkitaraman’s medical records from the private hospital where he was treated.
They need to examine the integrity of the blood sample submitted for the blood test at the Chief Chemical Examiner’s laboratory.
Nature of injuries
The police would also verify if doctors had administered the suspect any drug to suppress the presence of alcohol in the bloodstream. Investigators also want to know whether the nature of Mr. Venkitaraman’s injuries required intensive care treatment at the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH) later.
Investigators are poised to question doctors who treated him at different stages.
They were also examining whether Mr. Venkitaraman’s decision to go to a private hospital in defiance of police direction to get admitted to the MCH was a bid to thwart collection of evidence.
They would also question his co-passenger, a woman, to verify the allegation that he had told the police that she was driving at the time of the accident. Investigators have recorded the statement of the officers who handled the crash investigation.