Thiruvananthapuram, June 3, 2026
The controversy surrounding the death of journalist K.M. Basheer resurfaced in the Kerala Legislative Assembly media room on Wednesday, with journalists staging a strong protest against the presence of Agriculture Department Director Sriram Venkitaraman at an official press conference.
Sriram Venkitaraman had arrived at the Assembly media room along with Agriculture Minister T. Siddique, who had convened the Press conference.
However, journalists present in the hall objected to the participation of Sriram, the first accused in the case relating to the death of journalist K.M. Basheer, and made it clear that they would not allow the briefing to continue with him seated alongside the minister.
The protest intensified inside the media room, with journalists raising objections and demanding that the minister should not share the dais with a person accused in a case involving the deceased journalist.
They also declared that they would boycott the press conference if Sriram remained present.
Facing mounting pressure and the firm stand taken by the media fraternity, Sriram was forced to leave the hall.
The minister’s press conference could resume only after his exit.
The death of Basheer, a journalist with Siraj daily, had triggered widespread outrage in Kerala.
On August 3, 2019, Basheer was killed in a road accident near the Museum junction in Thiruvananthapuram while he was returning home after work.
The car in which Sriram Venkitaraman was travelling allegedly rammed into Basheer’s motorcycle from behind.
Basheer was thrown off the bike in the impact and died before he could be taken to hospital.
The incident had led to serious criticism against the police over allegations that there were attempts to shield the accused.
The delay in collecting Sriram’s blood sample, despite allegations that he was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident, had triggered a major controversy.
The latest protest in the Assembly media room reflects that the anger over the case continues years after Basheer’s death, with journalists objecting to Sriram’s presence at official platforms.(Agency)
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