The placement of the prime accused in the Nedumbassery crash case at Kakkanad Borstal School has triggered continuing protests from the families of two victims, while police seek custody of the accused for further questioning. The case has also drawn attention to the purpose and functioning of Kerala’s specialised institution for young prisoners.
The accused, Suhail Sajeev, is alleged to have been driving the car at excessive speed when it collided with a scooter at Nedumbassery, killing three people. A remand report cited by Malayala Manorama states that Sajeev had consumed alcohol at the time of the incident. The report also says that his possible use of narcotic substances will be examined.
Sajeev has been lodged at the Kakkanad Borstal School following a court order. Relatives of Devika and Gopika, who died in the crash, have opposed the decision not to keep him in a regular prison. The institution operates under Kerala’s prison department and is intended to keep young people aged between 18 and 21 separate from adult offenders.
The Borstal School currently houses 119 inmates, according to the report. Of these, 108 are remand prisoners, nine are facing trial and two are serving sentences. The institution has a system for monitoring its inmates, and its stated purpose is to prevent young prisoners from facing physical and psychological risks that may arise from being held alongside adult offenders in ordinary jails.
Kerala’s first Borstal School began operating next to Kannur Central Prison before it was shifted to Kakkanad in Kochi in 1995. Remand accused persons are placed there on the basis of court orders. The facility is therefore distinct from a decision by investigators or prison officials alone, although the arrangement has become a point of public dispute in the present case.
The Nedumbassery police have applied to the Angamaly magistrate’s court seeking custody of the remand accused for questioning. The application was expected to be considered on October 14. Sajeev has also filed a bail application, which was expected to be considered on October 15, according to the report.
The police have charged Sajeev under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The offence can attract imprisonment of up to 10 years. Sections 281, 49 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act, have also been invoked.
The remand report alleges that the other accused persons, while aware that driving after drinking could cause an accident, did not stop Sajeev from driving and instead encouraged him to drive faster. They face charges relating to abetment, as stated in the report. The next developments in the case will depend on the magistrate’s decisions on police custody and bail.
