High drama unfolded at a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram as journalists staged a strong protest against IAS officer and Agricultural Department Director Sriram Venkitaraman. The journalists refused to attend the press meet if Venkitaraman, the prime accused in the tragic death of journalist K.M. Basheer, sat alongside Minister T. Siddique. Following the intense opposition, Venkitaraman was forced to leave the venue.

The incident occurred at the Media Room in the Legislative Assembly, where the minister had called for a press conference. As soon as Venkitaraman arrived to participate, journalists unitedly raised their voices, declaring they would not share the space with him. Though the minister attempted to pacify the protesting media persons, Venkitaraman chose to leave the hall to diffuse the situation, allowing the press conference to proceed without him.

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Sriram Venkitaraman is the sole accused in the August 3, 2019, road accident case where K.M. Basheer, the Thiruvananthapuram Bureau Chief of Siraj Daily, was run over by a speeding car. While Venkitaraman initially claimed that his co-passenger Wafa Firoz was driving, eyewitness accounts and investigations pointed to him driving under the influence of alcohol. The trial for this case is scheduled to commence on June 1 at the Thiruvananthapuram First Additional Sessions Court, with Wafa Firoz having been discharged from the accused list.