Kozhikode hit-and-run case: Police sifted 50k call records, checked 19,000 registration details to trace Shajeel

Kozhikode: When the Purameri native Shajeel was arrested at the Coimbatore airport, it brought a successful end to the Kozhikode Rural Police' year-long search to nab the man accused in the Chorode hit-and-run case.

Shajeel, who returned from the Middle East on his way home, chose Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu over airports in Kerala to avoid detection by the police. But cops had already issued a lookout notice for him. "He has been handed over to the airport police station there and will be taken into custody by the Vadakara police," an official part of the investigation said.

Police took nearly 10 months to trace the car and another two months to nab the owner.

Shajeel left India after his speeding car knocked down Baby (68) from Kannur and her granddaughter Drishna (9) on February 17, 2024, while they were crossing the National Highway at Chorode, near Vadakara at 9 pm.

The woman succumbed to injuries, while the minor girl slipped into a coma and is still under treatment.

Police formed a special investigation team led by DYSP (Crime Branch) VV Benny after the Kerala High Court and the Human Rights Commission brought the case into the public attention.

In the beginning, the investigation team knew only the car's colour. By December, the police identified the vehicle's model (Maruti Swift) and registration number (KL18 R-1846). They also found out that the owner had altered the vehicle in an attempt to destroy the proof.

The investigation team cross-checked the registration details of 19,000 cars and footage from CCTVs within a 40 km radius of the accident spot, checked 50,000 telephone call records, and inspected 500 automobile workshops to identify the car and its real owner.

With police increasing the heat, Shajeel fled the country. Finally, Shajeel's claim for insurance reimbursement gave the police a clue. In his claim, he said the car was damaged when it hit a wall at Chorode.

Further investigation revealed that he had fled to the UAE on March 14, 2024, a month and a week after the accident. Having confirmed that he was in the Gulf, the police issued a lookout notice. And almost a year later, Shajeel walked into the trap.