Kochi/Wayanad (Kerala), Oct 12 (PTI) Stepping up the probe into the speeding Mini Cooper car crash that killed three youngsters in Keralam a day earlier, the police on Monday arrested two more persons, while a victim’s family demanded that a murder charge be invoked against those responsible for the deaths.
Three youngsters aged around 21 — two women and a man — were killed when a speeding Mini Cooper, allegedly driven by a youth under the influence of alcohol, rammed into their scooter at Nedumbassery near Kochi in the early hours of Sunday.
The incident drew widespread condemnation across the state, with people demanding justice for the victims.
Family members of Devika (21), a native of Wayanad who died in the accident, demanded that police invoke murder charges against the accused.
Suhail, a Kochi native who was allegedly driving the car under the influence of alcohol, was arrested soon after the accident. A case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder was registered against him.
Police said Suhail’s mother had gifted him the luxury car for his birthday. They found videos purportedly showing him driving at speeds exceeding 200 km per hour on several occasions.
His friend Ninav was also taken into custody on Sunday, police said.
During the investigation, police found that two other persons, identified as Ameer and Joel, were also in the car.
Ameer and Joel allegedly fled the scene after the accident in another vehicle and were later taken into custody in Alappuzha with the assistance of local police, officials said.
Suhail is the first accused in the case, while Ninav, Ameer and Joel have been named as accused for allegedly abetting the offence, police said.
The investigation revealed that Suhail and Ninav had consumed alcohol at bars in Kochi and Nedumbassery before Ameer and Joel joined them. The four allegedly continued drinking despite being heavily intoxicated before setting off in the car, police said.
According to police, Ameer and Joel had reached Nedumbassery to pick up a friend arriving at the airport. When the flight was delayed, they joined Suhail for a high-speed ride in the Mini Cooper.
Ameer and Joel were taken to the accident site on Monday as part of evidence collection. They told the investigation team that the car was travelling at more than 120 km per hour when the crash occurred and was on the right side of the road, officials said.
The arrested persons were produced before a court and remanded to the Borstal School in Thrikkakara, where remand prisoners aged 18 to 21 are lodged.
Police will soon file a petition seeking Suhail’s custody for further investigation, officials said.
The Excise Department, acting on the directions of Minister M Liju, registered cases against three bar hotels in Vyttila, Palarivattom and Nedumbassery for allegedly serving liquor to Suhail and Ninav.
Excise officials said the establishments had violated rules prohibiting the sale of liquor to persons below 23 years of age.
The department will investigate the matter and decide on further action, including possible cancellation of the bars’ licences, officials said.
Devika’s family demanded strict action to prevent similar incidents in the future.
“A case has been registered for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Instead, a murder case should be registered because he drove the vehicle in such a reckless manner. Such an incident should not happen to anyone in the future,” Sandeep, Devika’s uncle, told reporters.
He said Devika, Gopika and Iyas, all around 21, had been the hopes of their respective families and were preparing to enter a new phase of their lives after completing their studies.
“Devika was the lamp of this house. She studied and worked so hard,” he said.
Sandeep said Devika’s family had sold their land to finance her education.
“There is no place for us here even to keep the body. The body was kept at our ancestral home,” he said.
Devika was planning to move to the Gulf within two to four months after securing a good job and was the sole breadwinner of her family, he said. The other two deceased youngsters were also the main support for their respective families, he added.
Sandeep said Suhail Sajeevan had received the luxury car as a birthday gift from his mother when he was 19. He referred to social media posts allegedly showing Suhail driving at high speeds.
Sandeep further referred to reports that Suhail had told people after the accident that his father would handle the case.
“He might have said this because his father has a lot of money. But we believe the government and police will handle the case fairly. We hope the government and police will help us,” he said. PTI TBA SSK
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