Judge's Son Charged After Mercedes Crash Kills Street Vendor in Kerala
A 17-year-old, son of a serving judge, was arrested for driving a Mercedes-Benz that struck a scooter, killing a street food vendor in Kochi; the family alleges evidence tampering and a cover-up.
Kerala police have added Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita to the FIR concerning a crash in Kochi that killed 55-year-old street vendor Jayabalakrishnan. The vehicle, a Mercedes-Benz owned by a serving judge, was driven by the judge's 17-year-old son, who told investigators it was his first time behind the wheel and that he had learned to drive from YouTube videos.
Social-media analysis contradicted the teenager's claim. His public Instagram account, which had over 2,500 followers, contained several reels showing him driving the same Mercedes at speeds up to 200 km/h. After the crash, the account was set to private and the posts were deleted.
Police said the minor was traveling at 104 km/h when the collision occurred at about 2:20 a.m. on Sunday. He was detained and released on bail within minutes, prompting protests from the victim's family, who allege that the judge and police colluded to protect the driver and suppress evidence of three additional passengers who fled the scene.
"One eyewitness is afraid to speak because of the judge and the police," the victim's daughter told reporters, adding that the eyewitness claimed four people were in the car and three escaped after the impact.
The family also questioned how the teenager obtained the car keys, noting that the judge arrived at the crash site within 45 minutes. The judge reportedly responded to their inquiries by saying, "Don't question me about all of this."
The victims' children said they are consulting relatives about further legal action, including a representation to the chief minister. Senior police officers have not yet held a press briefing on the deleted social-media content or the eyewitness statements regarding the alleged additional occupants.