A parent publicly objected to his daughter receiving a prize from IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman during a children’s swimming competition in Kozhikode on Sunday, August 30, citing the officer’s involvement in the 2019 death of journalist K M Basheer.
The incident occurred during the prize distribution ceremony of a kids’ Swimmathon organised by Calicut Peddlers at a swimming pool in Cherootty Nagar. Venkitaraman, who serves as Director of the Department of Agricultural Development and Farmers’ Welfare, had been invited to distribute prizes to the winners.
Parent’s protest interrupts prize ceremony
According to reports and visuals from Malayalam news channels, the parent stepped forward when Venkitaraman was asked to present the award to his daughter.
The parent repeatedly objected to the IAS officer presenting the prize and said that his daughter should receive it from someone else. Following the protest, Venkitaraman withdrew from the prize distribution.
The Sub-Collector subsequently distributed the awards to the children.
Venkitaraman remains accused in Basheer death case
Venkitaraman is the sole accused in the case relating to the death of journalist K M Basheer, who died after being hit by a car in Thiruvananthapuram in the early hours of August 3, 2019.
The case concerns allegations of rash and dangerous driving. Importantly, Venkitaraman remains an accused and has not been convicted in the case.
The Kerala High Court recently deferred further trial proceedings for a month after the State informed the court that a Special Public Prosecutor would be appointed for the case.
Earlier protests have also followed his public appearances
The Kozhikode incident comes amid continuing public and media opposition to Venkitaraman’s presence at official events.
Earlier in June, journalists reportedly protested his presence at a press conference attended by Agriculture Minister T Siddiq. Venkitaraman subsequently left the media room and the press conference continued.
The latest incident has once again brought public attention to the long-running Basheer case and the continuing sensitivity surrounding Venkitaraman’s appearances at public functions.