Kochi Mercedes-Benz crash case: Kerala judge named as accused for allowing minor son to drive car

Kochi: Police have registered a case against an Additional Sessions Judge following a fatal collision in Cheranallur, where a Benz driven by his 17-year-old son struck and killed a scooterist, Jayabalakrishnan. The car is registered in the judge’s name. The case was lodged against the judge for allowing his minor son to drive the vehicle. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also been constituted to probe the allegations raised by the victim's family.

The 17-year-old was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board under Section 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and other relevant charges. He was granted bail considering he had no prior criminal record. However, Jayabalakrishnan's daughter Bhadrakeerthi and her family announced that they would continue their protest until justice is served for their father.

The family accused the police of taking a favourable stance towards the accused, stating they had lost faith in the police force. The children alleged that while they had to wait nearly 12 hours at the Medical College mortuary to receive their father's body, the 17-year-old who caused the fatal accident was released on bail from the police station within moments.