Police have arrested all four occupants of a Mini Cooper involved in the fatal Nedumbassery accident on Airport Road, while the excise department has registered cases against three bars linked to the group’s movements before the crash that killed three people. The arrests and regulatory action followed the collision early on Sunday, with laboratory results on the driver’s blood alcohol level still awaited.
Ernakulam rural police arrested Ameen Sha and Joyal S Anto, both 19 and from Alappuzha, on Monday. They were travelling in the car when it struck a scooter at high speed on Airport Road. The driver, Suhail, 19, was arrested on Sunday along with another passenger, Ninav, 19. All four accused are college students.
Police booked Suhail for negligent driving and culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The other three passengers were booked for abetment, with investigators alleging that they allowed him to drive despite knowing that he was under the influence of alcohol. The allegations will be examined through the ongoing investigation and court process.
The crash killed Devika, 21, from Wayanad; Gopika, 22, from Palakkad; and Iyas, 21, from Karnataka. Their bodies were handed over to their families after post-mortem examinations, according to the report.
Investigators have collected CCTV footage and bills from bars as part of the case. Police said preliminary findings indicated that the driver was under the influence of alcohol when the accident occurred, but the blood alcohol concentration has not yet been confirmed through the laboratory report. That report is expected to establish the scientific evidence relating to the driver’s condition.
The excise department registered occurrence reports against the licences and managers of three establishments on Monday. They include bars in Kadavanthra and Palarivattom, as well as a bar at a star hotel in Nedumbassery. Excise officers said the young men had allegedly visited the three establishments between 9.30pm and 1.30am on Saturday night, based on information received from police.
The excise cases will examine the establishments’ role under the applicable licensing and alcohol-control framework. The police investigation is separately focused on the crash, the circumstances of the drive and the conduct of the passengers. The two tracks could bring scrutiny to both individual responsibility on the road and compliance by licensed alcohol-serving premises.
The motor vehicle department has also reportedly initiated proceedings to suspend Suhail’s driving licence. The action is part of the administrative response following the fatal collision and will proceed separately from the criminal investigation.
Police and excise officials are continuing to examine the CCTV material, purchase records and other evidence gathered from the locations visited before the crash. The pending laboratory report and further investigation will determine the next evidentiary steps in the case.
