Kochi Police Commissioner Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar Says Transfer Unrelated to Mercedes Crash Probe
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Former Kochi City Police Commissioner Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar denied that his recent transfer was linked to the investigation of a Mercedes-Benz collision that killed a scooter rider, stating he had no contact with the accused or the judge.
Former Kochi City Police Commissioner Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar said his transfer was a routine administrative move and not connected to the investigation of a Mercedes-Benz crash that killed 55-year-old Jayabalakrishnan on Oct. 25 in Kochi. The vehicle was alleged to have been driven by the 17-year-old son of an Additional District and Sessions Judge, who was initially granted bail, prompting protests and claims of a case-sabotage conspiracy.
"I am not at all present on social media and therefore this is the only window for me to express this truth that I have not interfered or helped the family of the accused minor or his father in the case," Kumar told reporters in Ernakulam.
Kumar also stated he had not received any communication from the judge, nor had he instructed any subordinate officer to give preferential treatment to the accused. Four officers from Cheranalloor police station were suspended following the incident, and senior IPS officer R Nishanthini was appointed as the new Kochi City Police Commissioner.
The officer, a 2005-batch IPS member with a background in counter-terrorism and service in the National Investigation Agency, took charge as Kochi City Police Commissioner in January 2026. His statement comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the police handling of the case.