Kochi teen driver charged after fatal hit-and-run involving street vendor
A 17-year-old was arrested for driving a Mercedes at high speed that struck and killed a street food vendor in Kochi; the teen's father, an additional district sessions judge, secured bail for him, while the victim's daughter alleges prior reckless driving and police bias.
A 55-year-old street food vendor, Jayabalakrishnan, died after his scooter was hit by a Mercedes-Benz driven by a 17-year-old in Kochi on Sunday morning. Police said the vehicle was traveling at about 104 kmph and later added a charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The teenager, whose father is an additional district sessions judge, obtained bail twice – first at the police station after his father arrived at the scene, and again before a magistrate following a protest by the victim's family. The father claimed his son was driving the car for the first time, a statement disputed by the victim's daughter, Bhadrakeerthi, who said social-media posts showed the teen had previously driven the vehicle at speeds up to 200 kmph.
"We have evidence that he drove before. His father is trying to save him. He had sent some snap shots to his friends driving at 200 kmph," Bhadrakeerthi told NDTV.
Kochi City Police Commissioner Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar confirmed that investigators recovered video evidence of the car exceeding 100 kmph and that the case had been referred to the Juvenile Justice Board, with police planning to appeal the board’s decision.
The victim's daughter also criticized the police, alleging they were dismissive and that the suspect’s family received preferential treatment because of the father's judicial position.
"Even if he's 17 or 35, a criminal is always a criminal. If his father is saving him, then the father will go to jail. That is the only way," she said.
The incident has raised concerns about road safety, the handling of juvenile offenders, and perceived disparities in legal proceedings.