KOCHI: Amid mounting public and political outrage over alleged police inaction and procedural lapses in the fatal Cheranalloor hit-and-run case that claimed the life of scooterist Jayabalakrishnan, four police personnel—including the Station House Officer (SHO) and the Circle Inspector (CI)—were suspended from service on Tuesday. ADGP (Law and Order) P. Vijayan, who visited the victim’s family under the directives of Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, assured that the ongoing probe would thoroughly investigate whether the station officers failed in their official duties.
The suspended officers have been identified as Circle Inspector K.S. Shyam Kumar, Station House Officer V.S. Viswajith, Grade Assistant Sub-Inspector K.T. Manoj, and Senior Civil Police Officer Arun Joshy.
ADGP Vijayan stated that the investigation would prioritize addressing the specific grievances and concerns raised by the victim’s family prior to verifying station records. He added that the inquiry would encompass all operational aspects of the case, including analyzing the police station’s internal CCTV footage. “Whether the individual involved is a police officer or a judge, there will be no distinction under the law. We will meticulously examine whether procedural lapses occurred on the part of the local police,” the ADGP asserted.
Vijayan confirmed that he inspected the Cheranalloor police station and audited the case registers, supported by a specialized team from Thiruvananthapuram. He also cross-examined the initial depositions submitted by the officers linked to the investigation.
“Evidence is being systematically compiled to ensure the case holds up strongly during judicial scrutiny,” Vijayan stated. Furthermore, the police have moved the higher court seeking the cancellation of the bail previously granted to the minor accused. The investigating team recorded the statements of the 17-year-old teenager and his mother at their residence in Aluva, while legal procedures have been initiated to record the statement of his father, an Additional District Judge.
In his statement recorded on Tuesday, the 17-year-old reportedly claimed to investigators that the vehicle was not traveling at high speed and that heavy rainfall had caused waterlogging at the accident site. He maintained that he failed to notice the scooter ridden by Jayabalakrishnan. He further reiterated that this was his first time driving a car on public roads, having learned to drive by watching instructional videos on YouTube.
His mother informed the probe team that she was unaware her son had taken the family vehicle out that night. However, investigators have refrained from taking their statements at face value and are currently verifying the claims against circumstantial evidence.
Meanwhile, investigating officers have secured crucial CCTV footage capturing the teenager taking the car out from his Aluva residence on the night of the incident.
The fatal crash occurred at approximately 2:20 AM on Sunday along the Container Road in Cheranalloor, when the speeding car driven by the minor rammed into Jayabalakrishnan’s scooter.
For more details: Navamalayalam.com