The Kerala High Court has directed police not to arrest the additional district and sessions judge named as an accused in the Kochi Mercedes crash case, while ordering him to cooperate with the investigation. The order followed a hearing on his anticipatory bail petition and has drawn disappointment from the family of the 55-year-old scooterist who died in the accident.
Justice Kauser Edappagath passed the order after hearing the state and the judge’s counsel. The judge had approached the High Court seeking anticipatory bail after police named him as an accused in the case. The Mercedes-Benz involved in the crash was registered in his name.
Jayabalakrishnan, a resident of South Chittoor in Cheranalloor, was killed in the early hours of Sunday when the speeding car hit his scooter on Container Road at Marapparambu, according to police. Police said he ran a roadside eatery and was returning home when the accident occurred.
Jayabalakrishnan’s daughter, Bhadrakeerthi, said the family respected the High Court’s decision but remained disappointed. She told reporters that the family would consult its lawyer before deciding its next course of action and would continue to pursue the matter legally. The family has also filed an impleading petition, which the court will consider later.
The case initially proceeded under Section 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with causing death by negligence. Police released the 17-year-old minor from the police station on bail on Sunday evening. The decision led to protests outside the Cheranalloor police station, where Jayabalakrishnan’s son and daughter, accompanied by activists, demanded the accused’s arrest and production before the Juvenile Justice Board.
Senior police officers subsequently intervened. Following a preliminary investigation, police invoked Section 105 of the BNS, which deals with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The Juvenile Justice Board later granted bail to the minor, while police named his father as an accused in the case.
The proceedings have placed the investigation at the intersection of road safety, juvenile justice and the handling of cases involving influential or institutionally connected individuals. The family has said it will seek legal advice on how to proceed, particularly because a judge is on the opposite side of the case.
Police said the judge was questioned on Wednesday and that further questioning was scheduled for Thursday afternoon. The High Court’s direction requires him to cooperate with that investigation while the family impleading petition remains pending consideration.
