Cheranalloor accident: Police conduct search at flat of 17-year-old's judge father; action following High Court's directions

KOCHI: Police conducted a search at the flat of the judge whose 17-year-old son is accused of running over and killing a man with a Mercedes-Benz car in Cheranalloor. The search was carried out at the flat in Aluva following directions from the Kerala High Court. Police also examined CCTV footage related to the incident.

The family of Jayabalakrishnan, who died in the accident, will file a writ petition in the High Court on Wednesday. They will also seek cancellation of the bail granted to the 17-year-old and demand action against his father, the judge.

Although the family has expressed satisfaction with the police investigation, it has decided to continue with legal proceedings. Jayabalakrishnan's daughter, Bhadrakeerthi, said a petition would be filed in the High Court on Wednesday seeking the judge's removal from service.

The family will also approach the District Court seeking cancellation of the bail granted to the teenager by the Juvenile Justice Board.

Jayabalakrishnan's children, Bharat Shankar, Bhadrakeerthi and Bhagya Darshan, reached the Cheranalloor police station around 6.30 pm on Tuesday and held discussions with police officials until 9.30 pm.

Meanwhile, the judge told police that he was unaware that his son had taken the car. The 17-year-old has also given a similar statement. He also claimed that he had learnt to drive by watching YouTube videos. However, the police have not accepted these claims. The judge, who was reluctant to answer further questions, reportedly asked the police whether they had a court order to question him.

The investigation team suspects that the teenager had driven cars on earlier occasions as well. The Crime Branch had examined his social media accounts as part of the investigation.