Kochi, Apr 13 (IANS): The Kerala High Court on Thursday set aside a lower court's order discharging an IAS official of culpable homicide charge in a 2019 road accident case which resulted in the death of journalist K.M. Basheer in Thiruvananthapuram.

It was the state government which had filed the petition against the lower court order demanding not to drop the culpable homicide charge against Sriram Venkitaraman and give an order to start the trial in the case including the culpable homicide charges.

However, the court discharged Wafa Firoz, a lady who was in the car along with Venkitaraman at the time of the accident.

She had filed a discharge petition stating that she has done no wrong, other than travelling in the car.

The court also pointed out prima facie it points out that Venkitaraman was overspeeding.

With this fresh verdict, the IAS official will now have to face trial with charges of culpable homicide.

Venkitaraman was driving a car that rammed into Basheer, killing him.

The police allegedly found Venkitaraman in an inebriated state after the accident.

But following a significant delay in collection of his blood sample, the tests could not establish the presenc of alcohol in the body.

Subsequently, a case was registered against Venkitaraman and Firoz by the Museum Police, Thiruvananthapuram.