Three people were killed after a Mini Cooper allegedly travelling at more than 120kmph rammed a scooter on Airport Road in Nedumbassery, Kerala, prompting the arrest of all four occupants and investigations into suspected drunk driving, excessive speed and possible lapses at bars that served the group.
Ernakulam rural police arrested driver Suhail Sajeev, 19, and passenger Ninav, 19, on Sunday, followed by the arrests of two other occupants, Ameen Sha, 19, and Joyal S Anto, 19, on Monday. All four are college students from Kerala, according to the report. The crash occurred on Sunday, and police have booked Sajeev for negligent driving and culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
The other three occupants were booked for abetment because investigators allege they allowed Sajeev to drive despite knowing that he was intoxicated. Police suspect the car was travelling at more than 120kmph when it collided with the scooter. The investigation is examining CCTV footage, bills from establishments visited by the group and other material collected from the scene and the vehicle.
The three victims were identified as 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.
Investigators suspect that the occupants consumed alcohol at different establishments before the crash. The group reportedly visited three venues between 9.30pm and 1.30am on Saturday night, according to information cited by the report. A preliminary investigation indicated that Sajeev may have been under the influence of alcohol at the time of the collision, but laboratory reports are awaited to confirm his blood alcohol level.
The excise department has registered occurrence reports against the licences and managers of three establishments: bars in Kadavanthra and Palarivattom, and a star hotel in Nedumbassery. The action followed information shared by the police about the group’s alleged alcohol consumption before the crash. The reports will allow the department to examine whether the establishments breached licensing or service requirements, although the supplied report does not establish that any venue caused or directly contributed to the collision.
Police also found an old Instagram video purportedly linked to Sajeev in which the Mini Cooper’s speedometer appears to rise from 204kmph to 220kmph. The 11.8-second video, posted on April 20, contains loud music and appears to have been recorded on a highway. Investigators reportedly found other videos purportedly showing him driving at speeds above 200kmph on several occasions. These videos are being treated as investigative evidence and do not by themselves establish the speed of the car during the fatal crash.
Police said Sajeev’s mother had gifted him the luxury car for his birthday. Separately, the motor vehicle department has reportedly initiated proceedings to suspend his driving licence. The final findings on the vehicle’s speed, Sajeev’s blood alcohol level and the responsibility of the establishments involved will depend on forensic, laboratory and departmental investigations.
