KOCHI: Ernakulam rural police have arrested all four occupants of a Mini Cooper that rammed a scooter on Airport Road in Kerala’s Nedumbassery on Sunday, killing three people. Police suspect the car was travelling at more than 120kmph when the collision occurred.Two more occupants, Ameen Sha (19) and Joyal S Anto (19), both from Alappuzha, were arrested on Monday. The driver, Suhail Sajeev (19), son of Sajeev Jamal, and another passenger, Ninav (19), son of Renjith Kumar, were arrested on Sunday.Police said the driver was booked for negligent driving and culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The other three were booked for abetment, as they allegedly allowed him to drive despite knowing that he was inebriated. All four are college students.
Old Instagram video shows speedometer reaching 220kmph
An old Instagram video, posted on April 20 this year on an account purportedly belonging to Suhail Sajeev, shows the Mini Cooper’s speedometer climbing to 220kmph on what appears to be a highway.The 11.8-second clip shows the speedometer reading 204kmph before the speed continues to rise, reaching 220kmph as the video ends. Loud music can be heard playing inside the vehicle.Police said Suhail’s mother had gifted him the luxury car for his birthday. Investigators also found videos purportedly showing him driving at speeds exceeding 200kmph on several occasions.
Victims’ bodies handed over to families
The bodies of the three victims — Devika (21), from Wayanad; Gopika (22), from Palakkad; and Iyas (21), from Karnataka — were handed over to their families after autopsy.Police suspect the occupants had consumed alcohol at different bars before the accident. Investigators have collected evidence, including CCTV footage and bills from the establishments.While the preliminary investigation indicated that Suhail was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash, the team is awaiting laboratory reports to confirm his blood alcohol level.
Excise department registers cases against three bars
The excise department registered occurrence reports on Monday against the licences and managers of three bars in Kadavanthra, Palarivattom and a star hotel in Nedumbassery.The cases were registered following information from the police about the youths allegedly consuming alcohol before the crash. Excise officers said the group reportedly visited the three establishments between 9.30pm and 1.30am on Saturday night.The motor vehicle department has also reportedly initiated proceedings to suspend Suhail’s driving licence.
