The State police on Friday questioned IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman who they had arraigned as accused in the drunk driving-related road accident that claimed the life of journalist K.M. Basheer last week.

Doctors at the Government Medical College Hospital here are treating Mr. Venkitaraman for cerebral concussion, spinal trauma and wrist fracture.

They also took his fingerprint for forensic examination.

Investigators said Mr. Venkitaraman appeared coherent and recollected the events that led to the accident.

However, the bureaucrat denied he was inebriated at the time of the accident.

He reportedly told the police that the incident was an involuntary offence and he had no intention to harm anyone.

Mr. Venkitaraman said he had tried hard to save Basheer and requested passersby to take him to the hospital, but to no avail. Investigators said the accused did not exhibit any signs of ‘retrograde amnesia’ or partial loss of memory as made out by a medical board constituted by the MCH.

Litigation

Doctors told the police they had constituted the board to duly record and audit and take collective decisions regarding the diagnosis and treatment of the high-profile patient that might be subject to litigation later. The police also questioned Venkitaraman’s co-passenger, a woman, who had offered to drop him home after a get-together at the IAS officer’s institute opposite to the Golf Club.

Reckless manner

The prosecution case was Venkitaraman had driven the vehicle drunk and in a reckless manner against her counsel to be cautious.

Investigators said the woman stuck to her sworn statement that Venkitaraman was ‘mildly drunk’ and speeding at the time of the accident.