The Kerala government has ordered stronger action in the Nedumbassery accident case after questions were raised in the Assembly over an alleged delay in registering the FIR and the initial omission of Motor Vehicles Act provisions related to drunk driving. The government said steps had begun to cancel the driving licence of Suhail Sajeev, identified as the main accused, and that the case would be investigated by a senior police officer.
Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan questioned the handling of the case during the Assembly session on Wednesday. He said local residents had caught the accused and handed him over to the police soon after the accident, but alleged that the FIR was not registered promptly and that the accused’s name was initially missing despite police knowing that he had allegedly been driving after consuming alcohol.
Vijayan said the delay had led to allegations that the police were attempting to protect the accused. He also questioned why provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act had not been included at the outset. Aluva MLA Anwar Sadath demanded that the incident be treated as murder rather than an accident, citing the seriousness of the incident and the suffering of the victims’ families. He also sought lifetime cancellation of the accused’s driving licence and stringent punishment.
Responding to the allegations, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said the government would ensure that the accused received the maximum punishment permitted under the law. He said the case had been registered under provisions carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment. The minister described the incident as distressing and said the government would take stringent measures to prevent similar incidents.
Chennithala said the FIR was registered on the basis of a statement by Priyad, a friend of the deceased. According to the minister, Suhail’s name was not included initially because his identity was not known at that stage. The fact that he had consumed alcohol was recorded after his medical examination, he said, while cautioning against the spread of rumours about the case.
The Nedumbassery police inspector was investigating the case, but Aluva Deputy Superintendent of Police Baiju Paulose was asked to take over the probe. Inspector General of Police, South Zone, R Nishanthini, was assigned to speak with the families of those who died and take appropriate decisions to address their grievances. The government also said it was willing to appoint a special public prosecutor because of the importance of the case.
The Assembly discussion placed the case within Kerala’s wider enforcement challenge around driving under the influence of alcohol. Chennithala said enforcement had been intensified and that a special drive conducted exclusively against drunken driving had registered 959 cases on Tuesday. He did not provide details in the reported statement about the number of arrests, prosecutions or accidents linked to those cases.
The immediate administrative steps announced by the government are the transfer of the investigation to the Aluva deputy superintendent of police, the process to cancel Suhail’s driving licence, discussions with the victims’ families and the possible appointment of a special public prosecutor. The investigation and subsequent legal proceedings will determine the charges and punishment applicable in the Nedumbassery case.
