Kochi: "The Judge has never called me." Outgoing Kochi City Police Commissioner Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar has categorically denied allegations that he faced judicial pressure or that any external influence shaped the investigation into the fatal Cheranalloor Mercedes crash involving the 17-year-old son of an Additional Sessions Judge.

Speaking to reporters on Friday before handing over the charge of Commissioner to IG R Nishanthini, Kumar broke his silence on the controversy surrounding the investigation and his abrupt removal, asserting that nobody had approached him seeking to influence the case or dilute the charges. He also maintained that the investigation had proceeded entirely on the basis of evidence.

"I wanted to clarify this because I will not have another opportunity to speak about it after relinquishing charge," Kumar said, referring to the allegations aired during television debates and public discussions.

"Yesterday, I saw quite a lot in the debates and discussions, allegations that someone spoke to me in connection with this case. From the beginning of that case until the end, no one from outside has spoken to me. We did not carry out any intervention because of that. The Judge has never called me. No one else has called me either," he said.

Rejecting suggestions that anyone had sought to influence the investigation, he added, "Neither the Judge nor anyone else has ever approached me requesting that 'the case should be done this way'. Even if any such illegal request had come, I am not the kind of person who would accommodate it, from anyone."

'Transfer is part of our life'
Asked about his transfer amid the controversy, Kumar played down its significance, describing transfers as an ordinary part of a police officer’s career.

"There is no grief at all. We are government servants, officers in the police service. Transfer is part of our life. It is an officer’s experience in service," he said. The outgoing commissioner's remarks come amid intense scrutiny of the police response to the October 25 accident, which claimed the life of 55-year-old Jayabalakrishnan, a roadside eatery owner from Chittoor.

The accident occurred around 2.20 am on Container Road in Cheranalloor when a Mercedes-Benz car rammed Jayabalakrishnan’s scooter from behind as he was returning home. He later succumbed to his injuries. The car was allegedly driven by the 17-year-old son of an Additional Sessions Judge.

The initial handling of the case triggered widespread criticism after the police registered it under relatively less stringent provisions relating to rash driving and negligence. The juvenile was subsequently granted station bail.

Jayabalakrishnan's family staged protests outside the Cheranalloor police station, raising questions about the investigation, the handling of evidence and the conduct of the officers involved.

An internal inquiry subsequently led to the suspension of four police personnel, including the Circle Inspector and Sub-Inspector, over procedural lapses. The case was later strengthened with the addition of Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Section 199A of the Motor Vehicles Act was also invoked against the registered owner of the vehicle.

The timing and nature of the police response also came under scrutiny. The crash occurred around 2.20 am, and information about it had reportedly reached supervisory officers shortly after 3.30 am, even before the formal registration of the FIR.

Questions were subsequently raised over whether timely intervention and clear supervisory instructions could have prevented the lapses at the police station and the controversy that followed. The issue also figured in discussions in the Legislative Assembly.