The 19-year-old driver accused of killing three people in a Mini Cooper crash near Cochin International Airport in Kochi was found to have a blood alcohol level five times the legal limit, according to his blood test report, police said on Friday.
The accident occurred in the early hours of October 11, when the speeding car, driven by Suhail, rammed into a scooter near Nedumbassery. The three people travelling on the scooter died in the collision.
According to a senior police officer in Ernakulam, the permissible blood alcohol concentration for drivers in India is 30 mg per 100 ml of blood. Suhail’s blood sample, collected after the crash, showed alcohol levels five times above the legal limit.
The deceased were identified as Devika, 21, from Wayanad; Gopika, 22, from Palakkad; and Ijaz, 21, from Dakshina Kannada in Karnataka. All three worked at a handicrafts shop and were travelling together on the scooter.
Police Investigation
Investigators found that Suhail and his friends had visited at least three bars in Kochi on October 10, where they consumed alcohol. They later met two other friends at another bar near Cochin International Airport. Police have obtained CCTV footage showing the group drinking at the establishments.
Officers said the Mini Cooper was travelling at approximately 120 kmph at the time of the accident, exceeding the 80 kmph speed limit on the airport road.
Suhail and his friend Ninav were arrested and remanded to the Borstal school in Thrikkakara, which accommodates remand prisoners aged between 18 and 21. Suhail has been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and driving under the influence of alcohol. Ninav, Ameer and Joel have been charged with abetting the accused.
The blood analysis reports did not indicate the presence of narcotic substances or other chemicals in the accused persons’ bodies at the time of the crash.
Excise Department Probes Bars
The Excise department has launched an inquiry into the three bars allegedly visited by Suhail and Ninav. Under Kerala’s excise rules, liquor cannot be served to individuals below the age of 23.
Meanwhile, the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the CPI(M), held a protest march to a boutique run by Suhail’s mother, Nooha Sajeev, in Kochi on Friday. Police stopped the march.
According to the remand report submitted before the court in Angamaly, the police argued that Suhail had considerable social and financial influence and could potentially influence witnesses if released on bail.
The prosecution opposed the bail petitions filed by Suhail and the other accused. The first-class judicial magistrate court in Angamaly was scheduled to consider their bail pleas on Friday. Police are also likely to seek the accused persons’ custody for further questioning.
