High Court Grants Bail to Three Co-Accused in Nedumbassery Crash
The primary driver in the fatal Nedumbassery luxury car crash will remain detained for ten more days before release.
A high court in Kochi has granted bail to three individuals linked to a fatal luxury car crash in Nedumbassery that claimed the lives of three people, while ordering that the primary driver remain in custody for an additional ten days.
The tragic collision occurred on October 11 along the Nedumbassery Airport-Athani road. A luxury vehicle driven by Suhail Sajeev struck a scooter, resulting in the immediate deaths of three individuals: Devika from Wayanad, Gopika from Palakkad, and Iyas from Sullia in Karnataka.
Following the incident, Sajeev and his three companions riding in the car—Joel S. Anto, Ninav, and Ameen Shah—were arrested. After lower courts, including the Angamaly Magistrate Court and the Ernakulam Additional Sessions Court, rejected their initial requests, the defendants appealed to the High Court for bail.
During the proceedings, the defense attorney argued that Sajeev is a diligent second-year B.Com student and described the crash as an unfortunate accident. The defense asserted that because investigators had already gathered the necessary evidence and completed most of the probe, the young defendants no longer needed to remain in custody.
Conversely, the prosecution and the legal representatives for the victims strongly opposed releasing the suspects. Prosecutors presented evidence indicating that the vehicle was traveling at an excessive speed of 162 kilometers per hour and that the occupants had been drinking. Furthermore, authorities alleged that the passengers failed to provide medical assistance after the crash and that digital evidence of the driver's previous speeding stunts had been deleted from social media while he was already in custody.
The prosecution warned that granting bail would encourage reckless behavior among teenagers, maintaining that the investigation was still ongoing.
After questioning the necessity of keeping the suspects detained once the evidence collection was complete, the court decided to split its ruling. The three co-passengers were granted bail after the court noted that direct charges against them were less severe, whereas primary driver Suhail Sajeev was ordered to stay in custody until November 16.