Granting bail to Suhail could affect probe; blood test confirms heavy intoxication, says court

KOCHI: The court order rejecting the bail pleas of the accused in the Nedumbassery Mini Cooper accident that claimed three lives has come out. The Angamaly Judicial First Class Magistrate Court denied bail, stating that granting relief to the accused, particularly the first accused, Suhail Sajeev, could affect the investigation.

The court observed that a blood test had confirmed that Suhail was driving under the influence of alcohol. There were also eyewitness statements and CCTV footage supporting this finding. The other three accused had encouraged him to drive at high speed despite knowing that he was drunk. The court said the accused could influence witnesses, destroy evidence or go into hiding if released on bail. Considering these possibilities, the court rejected their bail pleas.

The bail applications of the first accused and driver Suhail Sajeev (19), along with the three others who were travelling in the car- Ninav (19), Joel (19) and Ameer (19)- were rejected.

The accident occurred on October 11 and claimed the lives of Devika, a native of Wayanad, Gopika from Palakkad and Iyas from Sullia in Karnataka. Suhail has been charged with culpable homicide, while the other three have been charged with abetment.

The court observed that driving at speeds exceeding 100 kmph while heavily intoxicated, with the other accused accompanying and encouraging him, showed a reckless disregard for public safety and the lives of other road users. The court also noted that an FIR need not contain every detail of the case. Further investigation would bring out additional facts and clarify the role of each accused, it said.