THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Contradictions have surfaced in the witness accounts regarding the person who was driving violinist Balabhaskar’s car at the time of the accident.

Three youths at the juice shop in Kollam, where Balabhaskar had stopped over for refreshment, have given the statement to the Crime Branch that it was Arjun who was driving the car at that time. But, Aji, a KSRTC driver and the main witness in the case, told the police that it was Balabhaskar who drove the car.

During their journey from Thrissur to Thiruvananthapuram, Balabhaskar and his family had dropped in at the juice shop in Kollam Pallimukku for drinking juice. The youths said they had seen a youth wearing green shirt and Bermuda was at the driver’s seat of the Innova car. He came out brought juice and gave it to Balabhaskar who was sitting at the back seat. Both of them shared the juice.

The three youths went to the juice shop on their way back home from Thiruvananthapuram airport. The car pulled off as they went towards him to take a selfie with him, according to the account given by them to Crime Brach DySP Harikrishnan.

Meanwhile, witness and KSRTC driver Aji told Crime Branch that it was Balabhaskar who drove the car. Earlier he had made similar statement before the Crime Branch.

Aji also had added that he didn’t know Balabhaskar and he could identified him through pictures on newspapers. Balabhaskar’s wife Lakshmi and another witness Nandu are of the strong opinion that it was Arjun who was driving the car at the time of the accident. Arjun’s statement will be recorded again after examining witnesses and scientific evidence.