The Kerala High Court on Monday allowed the state police to register a case against the Additional District and Sessions Judge, whose son was involved in a Mercedes accident that claimed life of a 55-year-old.
The police sought permission as they can not file a direct FIR against the sitting judge. The FIR can only be filed after a written submission to the Registrar General of Chief Justice of the respective High Court.
The accident occurred on early Saturday morning when the high-speed car allegedly driven by the judge's 17-year-old son rammed into a scooter. The man riding the scooter was identified as Jayabalakrishnan. He was returning home on after closing his food stall when the accident occurred.
Based on the victim's family, the police filed a case against the minor accused and produced him before the Juvenile Justice Board, which released him on bail. However, his release sparked an uproar by the family and others who staged protest outside the Cheranallur police station. The police later rearrested the accused.
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Speaking to reporters on Monday, Jayabalakrishnan's daughter said that she would continue to fight for justice for her father. She also raised questions on police's conduct accusing them of being lenient with the accused because he is the son of a judge.
The Kerala Police have reportedly made the case stricter by adding provisions including Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) to the FIR.
According to a report by NDTV, the teenager had told the cops that he had taken out the vehicle for the first time and started learning to drive from YouTube. However, the report suggests that the accused had in Instagram page with 2,500 followers where he posted driving reels.
Several videos on the page allegedly showed him clocking speed of up to 200 kmph in the Mercedes involved in accident. However, all the reels were deleted and the account was switched to private.