Kerala IAS officer in judicial custody for killing journalist in road accident

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 04: An Indian Administrative Service officer, who is allegedly involved in an accident case after his car hit a journalist on a motorcycle on Friday, killing him on the spot, has been sent to judicial custody for two weeks.

"The magistrate came to the hospital where he was admitted and remanded him in judicial custody for 14 days," an investigating officer told PTI.

The official has been charged under a non-bailable offence and the provision provides for a jail term of up to 10 years, IGP and Thiruvananthapuram city Police Commissioner Dhinendra Kashyap told PTI.

Police said Venkitaraman will remain at the hospital as the doctors advised so.

Venkitaraman, also a doctor and Fullbright Fellow, allegedly drove his car in a rash manner and hit the stationary motorcycle of K Muhammed Basheer (35), bureau chief of Malayalam newspaper 'Siraj', on a road in the heart of the city as he was returning home from work.

Basheer is survived by his wife and two children.