Kerala HC stays trial into death of journalist K.M. Basheer in accident involving car driven by Sriram Venkitaraman

The Kerala High Court has stayed the trial into the death of K.M. Basheer, journalist, after a car allegedly driven by IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman rammed his two-wheeler in Thiruvananthapuram in Keralam in 2019.

The High Court stayed the trial after Jaseela, wife of Basheer, approached it, seeking the appointment of a new special prosecutor in the case. This followed the government informing the court on September 17, 2026 that there was no need to appoint a special prosecutor, citing that there was no reason to replace the prosecutor who is now handling the case. The government had earlier informed the court that it had taken an in-principle decision to appoint a special prosecutor. This was after Ms. Jaseela had raised the demand for appointing a special prosecutor.