The Thiruvananthapuram Crime Branch has finally recieved test results from the Forensic Science Lab in Thiruvananthapuram that confirm that violonist Balabhaskar's friend Arjun was driving the car during the fatal accident in September 2018. Balabhaskar and his daughter had died in the accident which took place in Thiruvananthapuram, while has wife had been severely injured.
Speaking to TNM, Deputy Superintendent of Police Harishankar, who is investigating the musician’s death said, “We got the results from the forensic lab and the inference is that Arjun was in the driver’s seat. Further, the vehicle was overspeeding as the speedometer post the crash showed that the car was going at 100 km/hour.” The forensic test results will help bring the investigation in the controversial case to its final stage.
In the immediate aftermath of the accident in September 2018, a few eye-witnesses had stated that it was Balabhaskar who was driving the car during the accident, while others had said that it was Arjun. When the police questioned Balabhaskar’s wife Lekshmi and Arjun - the two survivors of the crash- their statements too were in conflict with each other. While Lakshmi had stated that it was Arjun who drove the car, the latter told the police that Balabhaskar had been driving the car after a pit-stop in Kollam.
With the forensic tests results confirming Lekshmi’s statement, the police will now move to the next step, which may perhaps include arresting Arjun.
“We have not taken a call on arresting Arjun yet. We have so far only received results from the forensic tests. We are waiting for other evidences before we decide on future course of action.” Harishankar added.
The accident that took place on September 25 had shook Kerala. While the couple's daughter Tejaswini passed away on the spot, Balabhaskar battled for his life for seven days before succumbing to a cardiac arrest on October 2, 2018. He had dislocated his neck, ruptured his lungs and fractured his limbs in the accident.
In November 2018, following a complaint by the musician’s father CK Unni to the Director General of Police Loknath Behera, the case was shifted to the Crime Branch of police. Balabhaskar’s father Unni suspected foulplay in his son’s death and even went on to call it an ‘engineered death’.
Months after the accident, statements by sound recording artist Soby George added a new twist to the mystery behind the musician’s death. Soby had told Crime Branch officials that he had reached the accident site within 10 minutes and had found 2 suspicous looking men at the scene. However, investigations have now revealed that Soby’s statements were false and that he had infact never visited the accident site when the crash took place.