Kollam (Keralam): Police have invoked the charge of culpable homicide against a car driver in connection with the death of a homeless elderly man who was allegedly hit by the vehicle and dragged for nearly two kilometres at Karunagappally here, officials said on Sunday.

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The accused, Shajahan, a native of Kadathur here, was arrested on Saturday after police traced the car using CCTV footage from various locations.

According to police, the car hit the elderly man on Friday night.

Despite realising that a person was trapped underneath the vehicle, the driver continued driving for nearly two kilometres before stopping.

The driver allegedly left him by the roadside and fled the scene without arranging medical assistance, police said.

The seriously injured man was taken to Alappuzha Medical College Hospital by residents, where he later died.

Police said the victim was believed to be a homeless person who used to seek alms near the Oachira temple and surrounding areas. However, his identity has not yet been established.

Photographs of the deceased have been circulated through social media platforms to establish his identity, officials said.

Police collected CCTV footage from several locations to trace the vehicle involved in the incident.

The investigation eventually led them to Shajahan, a businessman who runs a shop in the area.

Police, who initially registered a case of accidental death, later invoked Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Shajahan claimed that he was unaware that the man was trapped underneath his car and being dragged, police said.

However, investigators said the driver did not stop the vehicle after hitting the elderly man and continued driving for nearly two kilometres.

(This story has not been edited by Mathrubhumi and is published from a syndicated feed.)