Nedumbassery Crash: FIR Omits Suhail’s Name, Raises Allegations of Attempt to Shield Accused

Kochi: The FIR in the Nedumbassery crash that killed three people has omitted the name of the accused, Suhail Sajeev, raising allegations that the police are attempting to shield him. The person who drove the car that caused the accident is identified as “UNKNOWN” in the FIR. Despite Suhail reportedly admitting that he had driven under the influence of alcohol, the FIR makes no mention of drunk driving.

The accident occurred around 1.45 am on Sunday on VIP Road near Athani in the Valaeppuram area of Nedumbassery. The FIR was registered hours after the crash. Official records show that it was registered at 6.59 am on Sunday. Allegations have also emerged that the delay was intended to protect the accused and leave loopholes in the case.

Suhail is the son of Sajeev Jamal and Nuha Sajeev, who run a clothing store and an online clothing business under the name Eha Designs. Although people at the accident site and the police had identified Suhail, the FIR prepared hours later stated that the identity of the person who drove the car was unknown. Only the vehicle’s registration number was recorded. No case was registered in Suhail’s name despite his being the registered owner of the vehicle.

Police had themselves stated that Suhail, the first accused in the case, was heavily intoxicated while driving. He reportedly began drinking on Saturday afternoon and visited three bars before the accident. During evidence collection, he reportedly said he had been driving at 120 kmph while under the influence of alcohol. However, this speed has not been confirmed, and investigators suspect the car may have been travelling even faster.

Suhail told the police that the brakes had failed and that he had not seen the scooter. The three other people arrested in the case also admitted to the police that the Mini Cooper was travelling at high speed. However, the FIR does not state that the accident occurred because the driver was intoxicated.

Suhail has been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. He has been shifted to a juvenile correctional institution, known as a borst al school. The decision to send the accused to the correctional facility rather than jail, despite the deaths of three people, has drawn strong criticism.

Suhail has reportedly said that his father would protect him regardless of what happened. The families of the deceased have expressed concern that the accused have influence even within the state Cabinet and have questioned whether their children will receive justice.