Kochi Mini Cooper crash: Two more youths arrested; three bars booked for serving liquor to underage customers

Kochi: The investigation into the fatal car crash near Nedumbassery that claimed three lives in the early hours of Sunday widened on Monday, with police arresting two more college students who were travelling in the car and the Excise Department registering cases against three bars for allegedly serving liquor to the youths, who are below the legally mandated age for alcohol consumption.

The newly arrested students, identified as Ameer and Joel, both 20 and natives of Alappuzha, were occupants of the luxury Mini Cooper driven by Suhail Sajeev (19) of Kakkanad. Sajeev and another passenger, Ninav (19), who was seated in the front passenger seat, were arrested on Sunday. The police confirmed that all four occupants of the car were college students.

Ameer and Joel allegedly fled the accident spot by boarding another vehicle after the collision.

“The three co-passengers were aware that the driver was drunk. So they have been booked for allegedly abetting the crime by allowing Sajeev to drive the car under the influence of alcohol,” the Nedumbasserry police said on Monday.

According to police, the co-passengers neither warned Sajeev against driving after consuming alcohol nor objected to his alleged excessive speeding.

During the evidence collection at the accident site, Sajeev told investigators that he was driving at around 120 km/h or faster after negotiating a curve. He claimed that he had pressed the brakes hard, but they failed to engage before the Mini Cooper rammed into the scooter carrying the victims from behind. The impact shattered the car's windshield instantly.

Sajeev was unable to recall the direction in which the victims were thrown or provide details of the collision at the scene. He had also reportedly confronted local residents who questioned him after the crash, dismissing their concerns by saying, “Isn’t this the airport road? What is wrong with driving fast here? My father will take care of it”.

Meanwhile, the police will seek the help of authorised BMW technicians to retrieve and analyse data from the car’s Event Data Recorder (EDR). The examination is expected to establish whether the brakes were applied, how long the accelerator was engaged and what steering inputs were recorded. Investigators will also attempt to retrieve any onboard dash footage covering the final 30 seconds before the crash.

Three bars booked
In a parallel investigation, the Excise Department registered cases against the licensees and managers of three bar hotels - Daya in Kadavanthra, Monsoon Empress in Palarivattom and Courtyard by Marriott in Nedumbassery for allegedly serving liquor to the youths.

The students are suspected to have consumed alcohol at the three establishments between 9.30 pm on Saturday and 1.30 am on Sunday, before the fatal collision.

The establishments were booked under Section 15B of the Kerala Abkari Act, which prohibits the sale of liquor to persons below the state’s legal drinking age of 23, and Section 56(b) for alleged violations of permit conditions. The action followed strict directions from Excise Minister M Liju.

Sources with the Ernakulam Excise Division said that the department would seek custody of the accused for questioning.

“The accused persons will have to be questioned. We will be seeking their custody for interrogation. A detailed report will be submitted to the Excise Commissioner,” a senior excise officer said.

The bars, which violated the rules, face fines of up to ₹25,000. The Excise Commissioner also has the authority to suspend their licences.

Public confront accused at hospital
The incident had triggered high drama at the hospital on Sunday when Sajeev was brought for a medical examination. A video has surfaced in which an agitated youth attempted to assault him, asking, “Where is your father, man?” The police intervened and escorted him away.

Meanwhile, the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) has initiated proceedings to cancel Sajeev’s driving licence as the investigation into the crash continues.