Kochi Mini Cooper crash: All four accused get bail, Suhail to be released after 10 days

All four accused in the Mini Cooper crash that took three lives in Keralam’s Kochi were granted regular bail on Friday, November 6. 

The Kerala High Court ruled that prime accused Suhail Sajeev may be released after a period of 10 days. The court set no such timeline for the release of the three others, Ninav, Ameen Shah, and Joyal S Anto, LiveLaw reported. 

Granting bail, Justice Kauser Edapagath made note of the fact that the investigation has concluded and the accused have been held in custody for almost a month. “They have no criminal antecedents. They are students. Twice police custody has been given. Investigation, everything is over...They have been in custody for almost a month. There must be some reason for them to continue in custody," he orally observed, according to LiveLaw. 

The case pertains to a fatal accident at the Airport-Athani road in Kochi’s Nedumbassery on October 11. The overspeeding Mini Cooper driven by 19-year-old Suhail hit a scooter carrying three persons. All three – Gopika (22), Devika (21), and Iyas (21) – died in the accident. 

Suhail was found to be under the influence of alcohol. His blood alcohol level was high at the time of the accident, police have reportedly found. Reports say that the test found 160 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood in Suhail. This is five times the permissible limit of 30 mg per 100 ml. A urine test also reportedly confirmed that Suhail was highly intoxicated at the time of the accident.

The prosecution alleged that the accused were guilty of offences under Sections 281 (rash driving), 105 (culpable homicide not amounting murder), 49 (abetment), 3(5) (common intention) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. 

Suhail and Ninav, accused one and two, were arrested on October 11 and were remanded to judicial custody. The next day, Joyal and Ameen were arrested and remanded.

An earlier bail application submitted by the four accused was denied by the Angamaly Judicial First Class Magistrate Court on October 17.